Digi Magi Yamato Magica
by Witch Knight Daisy
Summary: A week after the events of 02. Mourning over the losses of their friends is difficult enough, but the original DigiDestined are called immediately again to stop another threat. This time, it may be closer than they think. Can the power of the DigiDestined and their Digimon stand against this new evil, or will they have to call on a foreign, unfamiliar power? Rating may change later
1. Chapter 1

**Hi there! Daisy's back with another story. For those who have read Arcade Armageddon, enjoy this new fic from yours truly! Updates may be a tad slow, though because RL will get in the way a bit. Just letting you know up front. Also, before reading this one, I would recommend reading "Takeru Magica" first.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Madoka Magica or Digimon.**

 **Digi Magi Yamato Magica**

 **Chapter 1**

"I'm home," Matt called, dropping his bag by the doorway when he entered the apartment he and his dad shared. He had just returned from school, most of which had been a drag. He found himself spacing out in class for the majority of the day. All of the original DigiDestined had. T.K. brought the news about the death of the other new DigiDestined last week. Davis, Kari, Yolei, Cody, and Ken died along with their Digimon at the hands of MaloMyotismon. Patamon was included in the casualties. Unlike their partners, the Digimon would be reconfigured.

The fact that four of the five Digimon would no longer be able to digivolve made the losses even more heartbreaking. Matt realized how much he would miss Davis. They had argued in the first stages of their adventure but the Child of Friendship accepted him as a friend over time. Suddenly losing the young leader made everything for nothing. He didn't get to know the others well enough, especially Ken – the time helping the Spanish DigiDestined Rosa notwithstanding.

The Child of Friendship knew everyone was taking it hard. Harder than anticipated. It would take more than a few weeks or even months to move past the deaths of their friends. He sure as hell was and so would Tai, making high school the least of their problems.

The original children, along with their families and those of the new team, held a funeral for the new kids last week. Matt found himself having to comfort Jun, who had bawled on his shoulder over her brother. He still had no romantic feelings for her, but he knew she cared deeply for Davis. The Inoue family perhaps suffered the most. Although there were many Inoue sisters left, they were not familiar with the loss like the other families. Then there were Ken's parents, who already lost one son and now lost their remaining one, while the Hida family lost its only child. That was frustrating for _any_ parent to go through. Tai had stayed behind even after the services and burial were done, kneeling in front of Kari's grave with Agumon by his side. The Child of Courage had blamed himself for not being there, and it took Matt, Gabumon, and Sora to convince him otherwise. But the Child of Friendship knew his best friend would never forgive himself. Kari _was_ Tai'ssister, after all.

Matt knew T.K. suffered from it the most, not only because the Child of Hope lived the nightmare and was bearing scars but also because T.K.'s allies fell at the hands of an agent of darkness, and the Child of Friendship knew how his younger brother reacted to darkness all too well. It was as if the scars from their first adventure hadn't been enough for T.K. Matt couldn't bear to imagine what his brother was going through, though he had appeared content through the whole service. Would T.K. start relapsing to his vengeful self again?

"Matt," came Gabumon's voice, snapping the Child of Friendship out of his musings. "How did it go?"

Matt flopped in a chair at the kitchen table as he saw his blue-furred partner coming out of his room. Gabumon usually wandered the house – especially when no humans roamed the place – to raid the cabinets and refrigerator for snacks.

"Slow," Matt replied, lying his head on the table as Gabumon joined him. The Digimon of Friendship had to use a stack of books to climb in the chair. "How can we think about school when we just buried some of our friends? You can relate because you lost some dear friends, too."

"And they'll get reconfigured without partners...except Patamon," added Gabumon.

"I couldn't focus on anything today. Well, that's the norm because half of the teachers _do_ sound like sleeping pills in skirts and suits, but I can usually get bits and pieces of their lectures. Not today, though. All I could think about were the friends we lost and I'm still thinking about them. I'm going to miss them, Gabumon." A tear threatened to run down Matt's cheek, but the teen fought it off. "Just when I was starting to get along with Davis. You remember our rocky start, right?"

Gabumon nodded. "You told me all about it." He remembered Matt's misunderstanding early in their adventure where Davis had thought his sister was badmouthing him to Matt. That had resulted in a little scuffle between the young DigiDestined leader and the blond.

"But at least we started to respect each other after that, especially during the whole fight against MetalGreymon that time."

"I thought we promised not to mention that. Besides, that too was a dark time, and I don't think you can handle one on top of another right now. We almost lost Agumon that day."

"I'm glad we didn't. That would've hurt Tai even more than what we're going through now," said Matt, lifting his head a little to regard his partner. "I don't think he would survive going through two losses. It still doesn't seem fair, though."

"What doesn't?" Gabumon asked.

"Saving two worlds and losing friends in the process. It just..." Matt sighed, then continued, "...doesn't feel like a winning score to me."

"I see." Gabumon patted his partner's shoulder to comfort him. "And I understand it's difficult to celebrate MaloMyotismon's defeat when friends were lost in the fight. Why don't you just take a break from school for a while?"

"I can't just take off from school," Matt said, sitting up and reclining in his chair.

A sudden beep came from inside Matt's green coat.

"Your coat's beeping," Gabumon pointed out.

"We just came out of a fight, so what is it this time?" Matt pulled his D-Terminal out of his coat. "Please tell me it's not a new threat." He opened his D-Terminal. Only a week had passed since the DigiDestined weren't needed in the Digital World. "Looks like we're needed in the Digital World." Matt groaned. "I'm scared now."

"What is it this time?" the Digimon of Friendship wondered.

"Don't know. I just hope we don't have to fight again so soon."

Matt and Gabumon went into the blond's room to enter the Digital World through the teen's computer.

But what they weren't aware of was a dark, cat-shaped figure sitting on the windowsill of the Ishidas' apartment, red gaze following the pair. Another, taller figure sat next to the smaller one.

"Only _you_ can answer that question, Yamato Ishida," the smaller figure said. "In the end, it's up to you. Of course, your decision may affect your friends' fates and that of the city you live in."


	2. Chapter 2

**Hi, guys! Sorry about the LONG wait on this chapter. I've been busy with work, working on original stories, volunteering, and cosplay projects, among other things. I am proud to have FINALLY finished, edited, and read through this chapter. I'm sure you all won't be disappointed. As with Arcade Armageddon, I am taking my time with this story because I want it to be the most enjoyable and am striving to improve my writing.**

 **Again, I don't own Digimon OR Madoka! And be sure to review if you'd like. Constructive crit is welcome and encouraged, but flames WILL be ignored and deleted.**

 **Chapter 2**

"I wonder if the message is from Gennai? Maybe he wants to give his condolences?" Matt said upon landing on the familiar, grassy ground of the Server continent jungle area of the Digital World. Only a week had passed since he had set foot there, the last time having been when he and the others had started helping the Digimon clean up MaloMyotismon's mess. The restoration of the Digital World gave the teens something to do during their dark period. And there was still quite a bit of repairing to do despite most of the Digital World, namely the atmosphere, returning to normal after the virus' defeat. The DigiDestined took turns repairing parts of the Digital World, rotating everyday. Tai and Matt had a turn, then T.K. and Izzy, and finally Sora. Mimi, and Joe occassionally pitched in to assist Sora when the Children of Sincerity and Reliability had an opportunity.

It was Matt's and Tai's turn today. When the Children of Friendship and Courage left the Digital World the previous week, some areas remained in horrible shape.

Server looked no better; craters, downed and burned trees, and cracked grounds dominated the region. Upon looking around, Matt and Gabumon realized they had a lot of cleaning to do in the continent. Who knew the battle would cause so much collateral damage?

But when they caught sight of his friends in a nearby clearing, the duo of Friendship began to suspect the reason was more than just the daily clean-up in the Digital World.

"Matt." Tai was the first to greet him. Agumon clasped hands with Gabumon in greeting. The duo of Courage, Sora, Izzy, Biyomon, and Tentomon had clearly been waiting for Matt and Gabumon.

"Hey guys," Matt responded. "Anyone want to tell me what this is about?"

"Your guess is as good as ours, Matt," Sora replied, standing up to hug him and peck him on the lips. "I think Gennai called us for something."

"Maybe," Izzy agreed. "Though we can't be certain."

"Who else would call us?" Matt asked. "Especially during a not-so-good time."

"I hear you, Matt." Tai sighed. "We just buried my sister and the other new DigiDestined, too." He shook his head. "Still doesn't seem fair if we have to fight again."

"My guess is that we might have been called just to be congratulated for cleaning up here so far," Izzy assumed.

"Or we may have to fight again," added Tentomon.

"Which none of us wants right now," finished Sora. "That being said, I bet you guys are faring better with school than I am right now."

The boys sighed and looked down at the ground. Even Izzy, despite being the hardworking one even in the darkest of times, was feeling down.

"I thought as much," said Sora, hugging Biyomon to her. "And Yolei was like a sister to me, too."

"Sora..." Biyomon cuddled up to her partner to comfort her. "Their sacrifices weren't for nothing, at least."

"But that doesn't change the fact that they're gone," said Izzy. "Tai's right. It's not fair and it doesn't feel like we've won."

"Hey, guys!"

The group turned around to see T.K. running up to them. However, as the Child of Hope closed in on them, the others noticed the younger blond panting and constantly stumbling as if he were already tired. There were slight cuts and scrapes on his arms, legs, and face.

"Hi, T.K." Matt pulled his brother into a hug, then noticed the cuts and scrapes. "What happened to you?"

"What?" Then the Child of Hope realized his brother was referring to the scrapes and cuts. "Oh, these. I fell a few times on the way here and broke some plates at home."

"I don't know." Sora examined the afflictions. "You look more like you got in a fight."

"A fight with _dishes,_ Sora. Relax." T.K. assured the Child of Love.

"And apparently you lost." Tai burst into a fit of laughter.

"Wait a minute, you're usually good at doing the dishes," Matt interjected. "And careful. You're the clean one, little brother."

"Yeah, well..." T.K. scratched the back of his head. "I kept dropping them in my rush to finish them and get to you guys."

Matt raised an eyebrow at his younger brother.

"Anyway..." T.K. quickly changed the subject, "has anyone heard from Joe and Mimi?"

The four children and their Digimon shook their heads.

"I'm pretty sure they've received the message, though," added Izzy.

"Mimi went back to America, and Joe's been busy with med school," said Sora. "They made it for the funeral, but Mimi had to leave the next day and Joe went right back to school. But I know they're finding it hard dealing with the losses."

"Aren't we all?" Matt sighed.

"I'm pretty sure they're on their way." Biyomon assured everyone.

A sudden beep came from everyone's D-Terminals. The kids pulled them out and opened them.

"I got one from Mimi," Sora said, reading the message. "She won't be able to make it."

"And neither will Joe," Izzy added, reading his message.

"They've barely even had a chance to help clean up," Tai put in.

"They were only able to take an hour from their day to help," said the Child of Love. "Then again, med school and fashion aren't easy."

"I guess we can go on ahead to Gennai's without them." Matt shrugged. " _If_ Gennai's the one who sent the message."

"I wouldn't put it past him," said T.K. "It can't hurt to head to his place and see if it was him."

"Especially when we were called to Server," added Sora as she surveyed the area. "And the place definitely needs some cleaning up."

"Maybe Gennai called us because he found out a more efficient way to take care of MaloMyotismon's damage," Tai guessed.

"All the more reason to drop by his place," Izzy affirmed.

* * *

The five DigiDestined and the four Digimon weaved their way through the felled trees of the jungle until they reached the edge of the river. The river parted just like the first time they had visited Gennai for the key cards, revealing the staircase leading to his place.

"I hope he didn't move," Sora said.

"One way to find out," Biyomon put in as she, the other Digimon, and the five teens started down the staircase toward Gennai's home. They remembered this from their first adventure as they made their descent.

* * *

Gennai's traditional, Japanese-style house was the same as the team's first adventure: one-level, surrounded by a garden, a pond overlooked by a bridge, where the DigiDestined had caught Gennai in the middle of fishing last time. But Gennai wasn't fishing this time.

"I hope he didn't step out," said T.K., glancing around the area in search of the Agent. "He's normally fishing, but then again, he's young and handsome now, so who the hell knows what he's up to?" The Child of Hope, followed by the others, crossed the bridge toward Gennai's place, where he knocked on the door. There was no answer. The younger blond tried again, still receiving no answer.

"Maybe he _did_ step out," Tai guessed. "I wonder if he's got a lot of dates lined up to test out his youth, huh?" He grinned at his wisecrack.

"Very funny, Tai." Matt folded his arms, unamused.

"Very funny, indeed." Gennai's voice was heard, causing the teens and Digimon to look around for the Agent himself. "Especially when he's around back."

The DigiDestined and Digimon went around to the back of the house to find Gennai meditating in the middle of the garden. The Agent looked up upon the group's arrival.

"There you all are." He smiled. His gaze stopped on T.K. and the many cuts and scrapes covering his body. "What happened to you, T.K.?"

"A fight with dishes," Sora answered. "T.K. lost."

"All of those from dishes?" Gennai raised an eyebrow. "I wash dishes here and never get that many cuts." He scanned the Child of Hope.

"That's what I said about him, Gennai," said Matt. "T.K. rarely breaks dishes, and if he does, he doesn't cut himself."

"That's not important now, though," the younger blond cut in.

"Right." Gennai returned to a businesslike demeanor, then looked over the teens' shoulders. "I see Mimi and Joe aren't here."

"Yeah, they're under the gun right now," said Sora. "Fashion and med school aren't jokes, I tell you."

Gennai nodded. "I see."

"Did you send that message?" Izzy asked.

"Yes, I did. I called you all here..."

"To congratulate us on a good job cleaning up MaloMyotismon's mess?" Gabumon inquired.

"You're going on a date in the human world, so you want us to housesit?" Sora guessed.

"You called us to see how we're holding up?" Tai asked.

"Yes, no, and that's part of it," Gennai answered all of the questions in order. "I understand that this is a difficult time for you all, but this news cannot wait."

The teens and Digimon anxiously huddled closer, hanging on to a tiny ounce of hope. Hope that Gennai was only joking and only called them to check up on them and then send them home with a "keep up the good work."

"There are some disturbances out there, and I think they're worth checking out," the Agent finally said.

The DigiDestined groaned at this, their chances of a break downed like a sinking ship.

"What disturbances?" Sora was the first to speak. "Isn't it hard enough we're still trying to deal with the losses of our friends?"

"I understand you all are still enduring a tough time, and I apologize for that," said Gennai. "But these disturbances have suddenly emerged and have been present for the past few weeks. Most of the other Agents have been watching them while the others were witnessing the MaloMyotismon battle."

"Okay, so whatever Digimon's wrecking the DigiWorld or our world, we'll take care of it in no time," Tai vowed. "Can't be as strong as MaloMyotismon."

"Wow, Tai, you're sure of yourself, aren't you?" Agumon said.

"These disturbances are mostly in your world," Gennai explained. "Hogan caught sight of people jumping off of buildings to their deaths, some of them DigiDestined."

"DigiDestined committing suicide?" Izzy repeated. "Were they depressed?"

"Yeah," Matt agreed. "Depression's a serious illness."

"We chalked it up to that at first, Matt," said Gennai. "Until we heard that suicides are happening all over the world. Again, some of them are DigiDestined."

" _Sounds_ like a Digimon," Tai pondered. "But do you know which one, Gennai?"

The Agent shook his head. "And that's not all, Hogan also caught sight of girls in cosplay tending to the suicidal."

"Are the girls DigiDestined?" Izzy asked.

Gennai shook his head again. "We don't know. They didn't have Digimon by their sides, according to Hogan."

"That doesn't mean they're not DigiDestined," Sora interjected. "Are they Digimon in disguise? Because I wouldn't be surprised if some Digimon can take on the form of humans."

"Again, we're not certain," Gennai repeated. "We don't know whether the girls can be trusted or not, nor do we know why these suicides are happening."

"It's probably a stray Digimon someone forgot to send back," Tai guessed. "If so, we can bring it back, no problem."

"We still need to be careful and keep our guards up, Tai," warned Izzy, slightly worried about Tai's sudden overconfidence.

"Indeed," Gennai agreed. "Besides, we don't know what we're up against for sure."

"We'll be careful, Gennai," Matt assured him. "Gabumon and I will keep a look out, even more so if it turns out to be a Digimon."

"So will we," Biyomon promised, then regarded Sora. "Right, Sora?"

"Right." The Child of Love nodded.

"And you can count on Izzy and I, too," Tentomon chimed in.

"And you know we'll be ready." Tai turned to his partner. "Right, Agumon?"

"You got it." The Digimon of Courage made an attempt at a thumbs-up. "How about you, T.K.?" He regarded the Child of Hope, who had been silent the entire time. Everyone else followed the lizard Digimon's lead.

"Yeah, little brother. You've been pretty quiet since the conversation about the dishes," Matt said. "What's up? Do _you_ have any opinions on these suicides?" The Child of Friendship noticed his brother spacing out, waving his hand in front of the younger's face. "You with us?"

"Yep, I'm with you guys!" T.K. quickly jerked his attention to Matt. "And no, I'm as lost as you are about the suicides. I'll keep a look out for anything odd. _I_ can handle things, too, you know?"

"But you don't have Patamon," Matt reminded.

"Oh...um..." T.K. wracked his brain, flustered. "I have you guys." He then looked down at his D-3 to check the time. "And I need to head home; I just remembered I needed to help Mom with something. So I'll see you later, guys."

"But we just got here," Sora said.

"Yeah, T.K.," Matt agreed.

"I just forgot about it, and it just came back to me now." T.K. backed away slowly, laughing sheepishly. "Anyway, gotta go."

"Okay, little brother. See you at home." Matt waved the Child of Hope off, a little uneasy. "Be careful."

"You all should _definitely_ be on your guards," suggested Gennai. "And when and if I get any more information, I'll let you know. In the meantime, four of you can get started on Server, and the other four can go home."

"Guess it's us today, Matt," said Tai, nudging the blond.

"Like always." the Child of Friendship grinned.

"We'll find out the reason behind the suicides, don't worry." Biyomon promised.

"Yeah, we'll keep an eye out for any leads and let you know if we need backup," Tentomon added. "Besides, I'm sure Izzy will be up all night gathering information."

"Hey, I take breaks every once in a while," the Child of Knowledge protested. "And T.K. will be with us, too, so there will be three of us investigating."

"Five if you count Joe and Mimi," Sora corrected. "We'll let Mimi know in the States."

"Thanks, guys." Agumon smiled with gratitude as Sora, Izzy, Tentomon, and Biyomon left.

"Be careful out there," Gabumon called behind them.

"Well, we'd better get to work," Tai said once the others were gone. "Server's a little larger than File Island, so we won't be able to finish today, obviously."

"Duh, genius," Matt retorted.

"Shall we start with Koromon Village?" Agumon suggested.

"Good idea," Gabumon agreed. "The Koromon will probably need some extra hands first."

"Or hands period." Matt snorted.

"Then it's decided." Tai raised his fist. "We start with Koromon Village."

…

T.K. emerged from his computer and onto the hardwood floor of his room, landing on his knees. It had been a far cry from how he and his friends had been spit out of the Digital World and into their school's computer lab. He shook his head, recovering from the transition from digital to physical.

"All of these years, and you'd think I'd get used to feeling like I've been in the spin cycle," said the Child of Hope. "And I dodged a bullet with everybody."

"Are you certain you should be hiding such valuable information from your friends?"

"Yeah, Kyubey," said T.K., glancing up to see a catlike creature on his windowsill, beady red eyes fixed emotionlessly on the teen. "I want to keep them safe. Besides, I don't think they'll believe the suicide victims were kissed by witches." T.K. had learned about witches' kisses from Kyubey and how the markings drove the afflicted to engage in dangerous, often life-threatening, actions. Witches mostly kissed the weak-willed, depressed, and those who entirely gave up on hope, among others. "Moreover, I don't need them right now; I think I can handle the witches in Odaiba myself. If I need their help, I'll tell them, but only as a last resort."

"I see."

"Also, I'll have help when Patamon's reconfigured, so I may not need their help at all."

"I'm not too certain." Kyubey stared at T.K.

"Look, I'll be fine, okay?" T.K. insisted, then noticed a tiny blemish of darkness inside his Soul Gem upon checking the magical item dangling from his belt loop next to his D-3. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to hunt some more witches." The Child of Hope gripped his Soul Gem, causing a tornado of golden light to surround him and melt away his clothes. When the light cleared, T.K. was wearing a tan and gold tunic with tan pants secured with a brown belt. He wore fingerless gloves and a box-shaped hat bearing a brooch shaped into his Crest on its right side. T.K. also wielded a gold staff taller than himself, completing the ensemble. Not wasting any more time, the Child of Hope leaped out of the window for more witch hunting.

"How long do you plan to hide the truth, Takeru?" Kyubey watched the teen depart. "You do understand that they will find out eventually. Yamato Ishida, Taichi Kamiya, Sora Takenouchi, and Koushiro Izumi all possess the potential to become magical. It is only a matter of time before their paths cross with witches and humans kissed by witches. I have been sensing the magical potential of those four for quite some time. I would like to see just how long Takeru's secrecy will last." Kyubey turned to T.K.'s computer with the gate to the Digital World still open. The gate still led to the Server jungle. The cat-like creature clicked one of the pink panels adjacent to the gate, and it shifted to File Island. He clicked another one for a glimpse of Toy Town, and then to the Japanese-style house, with a middle-aged man, four other teens, and four of the creatures known as Digimon. Kyubey remembered the orange and cream-colored creature he found dead before finding T.K. had been a Digimon.

That did not matter to Kyubey, though; only the human teens held importance to him. And he knew they were the ones he had been looking for along with T.K. All of them had the potential to become magical if they wanted to make the contract, and regardless of how long the Child of Hope kept them ignorant of witches and magical girls and boys, his friends would eventually find out.


	3. Chapter 3

**Hi, guys! Sorry this took so long! Work has been an obstacle, and I'm in the process of looking for another job. Also, I've been translating my original stories to Japanese, coming up with titles and summaries for them, studying Chinese, and learning new Kanji, vocabulary, and grammar for Japanese. I'm planning on learning Korean, Cantonese, the Kansai dialect, and Kyoto-ben, volunteering for the Girl Scouts, learning how to make cakes, and continuing to apply for a library position. Wish me luck on everything! I have also been working on new cosplay, which you can check out on my Zoe Zerelda Cosplay page on Facebook. And do check out my Fortunes page for updates on fanfiction and original fics. My website's coming along, too and will have updates on what I have upcoming, as well. My website should be up next summer at the earliest. I am also open to ideas on a website name, so if you have one, just either drop it in your review or PM me. For now, enjoy the chapter!**

 **I do NOT own Madoka Magica or Digimon! If I did, this would have been a series, trust me! And I wouldn't be working at a grocery store or looking for jobs.**

 **Chapter 3**

"This place was hit pretty hard, huh?" Tai asked as he and Agumon helped a group of Koromon place more sticks over a hut's skeletal structure.

The duo of Friendship, Tai, and Agumon had been hard at work reconstructing Koromon Village, rebuilding the structures of the huts before moving on to the larger buildings. They were now working on the tower in the center, where they had enjoyed a feast with the Pagumon that usurped the village during their first adventure.

"Yeah, they did a number on this place," Matt agreed, slowly laying sticks one by one over the hut's structure.

"The important thing is that the Digital World is safe again," added Agumon.

"Right." Gabumon nodded. "It'll be back to normal in no time."

"Mm-hmm." Matt gave a slight nod, then returned to his work.

"What's wrong, Matt?" the Digimon of Friendship asked his partner.

"Nothing," the blond quickly said. "Nothing's wrong." He forced a smile and continued his work.

"Come on, Matt. I know there's something wrong. Spill it," Tai pressed. "You've been spacing out ever since we started cleaning up."

"Tai, I don't want to talk about it, okay?" Matt turned away and tried to focus, but Tai moved in front of him.

"Why not?" The Child of Courage continued to pry.

"Because..." the blond trailed off, then shook his head. "I just don't want to talk about it right now."

Tai held his hands up in surrender. "Alright, you don't have to bite my head off. I was just concerned because you looked dazed over there. I didn't mean to agitate you."

"You didn't, Tai, don't worry," the Child of Friendship assured him. "It's just something on my mind right now. I need to ponder it alone."

Tai nodded. "I understand, Matt."

With that, the boys and their Digimon resumed their cleaning duties until Tai spoke again.

"Hey, Matt."

"Yeah, Tai?" The blond regarded the bushy-haired teen.

"Why do you think DigiDestined are killing themselves?" the Child of Courage asked. "They must have been really depressed to do what they did. I mean, the ones we've met seemed upbeat. I hate to think they were among them, especially Catherine."

"Oh?" Matt smirked, ears perking up at the mention of the French DigiDestined.

"It's not what you think, Matt!" Tai protested, face resembling a beet. "T.K. and I only saved and made friends with her!"

"Riiiight," Matt drawled, returning to his work. "Whatever you say, Tai."

"Anyway..." Tai quickly changed the subject, "What about those girls in cosplay? Who are they?"

"They could be DigiDestined if they're tending to the dead ones," Gabumon guessed. "Then again, there's no way to know for sure until we find out more."

"I'm sure Sora, Izzy, and T.K. can gather some info on them and the suicides and let us know," Matt assured everyone. "Especially T.K.," he muttered under his breath.

"What was that last part, Matt?" Tai asked.

"Nothing," Matt said hastily, then returned to his work, hoping the others could find any information on both questions. Why _were_ DigiDestined killing themselves so suddenly? And what did the girls in cosplay have to do with the suicides _if_ they were connected? Or were _they_ provoking the suicides themselves? Those questions swam around in the blond's mind as he continued his part in the Digital World renovation.

"We sure got a lot done today," Matt said as he and Gabumon landed on the vinyl floor of the teen's room upon exiting the Digital World.

"Thanks to the Pagumon coming in to help," added Gabumon. "Looks like they're not that bad after all." A few hours into their work, the Pagumon that formerly worked for Etemon had pitched in to expedite the restoration of the Koromon Village. Everyone had been skeptical at first, until Tai had given them the okay, after which the Koromon were grateful for the extra help.

"After all of the trouble they caused on our first adventure, they sure did redeem themselves today." Matt yawned and stretched, then took a glance at the pitch black sky through his window. The Child of Friendship's eyes fell on the wall clock next to it, which read eight-thirty. The job had taken the entire afternoon, and he and Tai had to go back tomorrow after school, which was Friday. For now, he wanted to take advantage of the rest of the evening and knew exactly how, considering his and Gabumon's stomachs growling.

"Let's raid the fridge and cabinets," the teen decided.

…

"Fifth one today," T.K. said, thrusting his staff through the projectile of a witch he had been fighting. The witch resembled a mammoth mushroom with a green, pink-spotted cap and a thick gray stem bearing a stretched, grinning face consisting of golden eyes. A gloomy, forest-like atmosphere laden with flashing televisions and satellites hanging from malnourished trees surrounded them. The moon above them emitted sickly green light down on the battle with its sinister grin. Patches of a swampy, marshy substance covered the ground, with paper toads lounging along their edges. Cardboard mosquitoes buzzed around T.K. and the witch, as if spectating the battle. The entire labyrinth stank of fungi, algae, and decay. T.K. landed before the witch after his recent attack, taking care not to land in the marshy substance between him and the creature. He also had to keep moving due to the spongy terrain threatening to swallow him. The Child of Hope glared up at the sadistic-looking 'shroom, which fired a barrage of purple spores that gave off a putrid, poisonous stench that would put even a Numemon's sludge to shame. T.K. quickly dodged the spores, rolling over to the side and holding his nose. "And the collateral damage doesn't help! I almost wish Patamon was with me."

"But he clearly isn't, Takeru." Kyubey was watching from a few yards away from the fight and had been during every witch encounter.

"Don't remind me." A growl tinged with a hint of anger edged T.K.'s tone.

"I still fail to understand why you continue your insistence to fight alone. How long do you intend on continuing to hide this from your friends? They will eventually find out."

"I told you before, I don't need them getting hurt unnecessarily," the Child of Hope responded, charging at the witch and aiming his glowing staff at it."

The witch released another barrage of spores, but T.K. spun his staff before him like a windmill and deflected every projectile. The DigiDestined thrust his staff through the mushroom witch's mouth, causing it to emit noxious violet gas before exploding into purple gunk and bits that covered T.K.

"Never thought fighting witches would turn out this disgusting and messy." The Child of Hope held his nose against the stench. He was going to need a shower for sure, but the Grief Seed was worth it, as the blond glanced around for it in the sticky, smelly mess. Unfortunately, he had no such luck as the labyrinth disappeared, revealing the roof of the familiar Fuji TV building lit up under the full moon. He and his friends had fought Myotismon the first time there.

"Where's the Grief Seed?" the Child of Hope asked, still looking around as the inky mess vanished, revealing nothing but moonlight and the spotless floor of the roof. He still had the smell of the witch and some of its remains all over his body. "I thought all witches gave up Grief Seeds."

"You're right, _all_ witches give up Grief Seeds," Kyubey agreed, slinking up to the boy's side. "That was not a witch, unfortunately. That was a familiar. Familiars spawn from witches and do not possess Grief Seeds due to this."

"Why didn't you tell me this before?" T.K. asked, annoyed.

"You never asked," the catlike creature replied simply.

"Guess my night isn't over yet." The blond checked his hat, which bore his slightly-tainted Soul Gem in the shape of his Crest. "From what you've told me about my Soul Gem and Grief Seeds and how we need the seeds to clean up my gem, that is. Too bad there aren't any more here around the TV station, though."

T.K. leaped down from the building, Kyubey by his side, and landed safely on the streets of Odaiba. Traffic was light that night, thankfully, so T.K. didn't have to worry about innocents falling victim to witches or familiars. Not that they would be able to see them. Or Kyubey.

Footsteps cut the Child of Hope's relief short. T.K. glanced behind him to see Izzy and Tentomon in the distance, heading in the blond's direction. T.K. scrambled back toward the Fuji TV building and hid behind one of the connected towers, with Kyubey following. He hoped the duo of Knowledge hadn't seen anythiing on the roof and would just continue past.

Unfortunately, they didn't. Instead, they took a turn toward the tower, Izzy looking up at the roof from where T.K. and Kyubey had leapt down. The Child of Hope and the catlike creature sidled over to another side of the tower to avoid detection. They craned their heads around to see Izzy staring at the roof.

"Izzy, I don't know about this," Tentomon said sheepishly. "Are you sure you saw something up there?"

"Shit," T.K. whispered. "Had they seen the witch up there?"

"I did, Tentomon," Izzy responded in a dreamy tone.

"I do not think he noticed the witch, lucky for you, Takeru," Kyubey said. "But look at his neck."

"T.K. shifted his attention to the Child of Knowledge's neck, where the blond saw a heart-shaped mark. The Child of Hope's eyes widened at this, for he knew Izzy was in danger. What was worse? The Child of Knowledge didn't even know it. A witch had kissed Izzy, and from the way the redheaded boy was looking up at the roof, T.K. knew Izzy's plan.

"Izzy, you're scaring me!" Tentomon screeched. "What's up there? A stray Digimon? A DigiDestined attempting suicide? One of the girls in what you humans call 'cosplay?'"

"None of those, Tentomon," the Child of Knowledge replied. "It's a gateway to a place with no pain, no suffering, and, most of all, freedom."

"What? What are you saying?" the insectoid Digimon asked in a panic-stricken tone.

I know what he's saying, T.K. thought. And you were right on your second guess, Tentomon. The Child of Hope started forward to stop his ally, but froze upon knowing his secret could be in jeopardy. What if Izzy found out T.K. was a magical boy after the blond rescued him? Would Izzy want to be a magical boy, too? T.K. did not want to risk getting his friends involved; he could handle the witches in Odaiba himself.

He couldn't let Izzy kill himself, either, and that was proven when the Child of Knowledge pulled out his Digivice and digivolved Tentomon into Kabuterimon.

Having no time to waste, T.K. returned to his human form and tackled Izzy to the concrete. The Child of Knowledge squirmed under T.K., who pinned him down.

"T.K.! What are you doing here?" Kabuterimon asked. "Where did you come from?"

"No time for that now, Kabuterimon!" T.K. urged, Izzy still writhing under the blond's weight. "We can't let him get on the roof...or even climb any buildings for that matter. You need to take him home and lock him in his room!"

"What?" Kabuterimon asked. "What do you mean 'lock him in his room?'"

"I can't explain it, but I know Izzy will add to the suicide count if he stays out here!" The Child of Hope continued. "Fly him home now and hold him by the limbs! And if he tries to escape, knock him out or hold him down! Just don't let him out of his room once you guys are home!"

"I don't understand..." The Champion-level Digimon was still confused. "Locking him in his room sounds a little too harsh, don't you think?"

"Please don't ask any more questions! Just fly him home and keep him there! He's in danger as long as he's out here!" T.K. pleaded, leaving no more room for arguments.

"Okay, T.K." Kabuterimon nodded reluctantly, then took off, gripping each of Izzy's limbs in his clawed legs.

"Yep, there's definitely a witch nearby," T.K. decided. "And it's probably wherever Izzy came from." He clenched his fists. "This is why I didn't want them involved."

"It may be too late for that now, Takeru," said Kyubey. "Especially when Koushiro is potentially magical, which may allow him to recall the event."

"Damn," T.K. cursed. As much as he hated to admit it, Kyubey could be right. If magical candidates could see witches and familiars, they would probably be able to remember events involving them. Izzy was no exception. But T.K. could hope for a miracle, couldn't he?

…

"I still don't get it, Gabumon," Matt said over a mouthful of pizza. He had ordered three pepperoni pizzas for himself and Gabumon. The blond usually only ordered two, but this time he ordered three not only because Gabumon could finish an entire pie alone, but he also knew his father Hiroaki was in his room, resting from a long day at Fuji TV. In fact, Hiroaki had just stepped in an hour ago, and Matt knew his father would gain an appetite later.

The duo of Friendship had been reiterating their conversation with Gennai about the suicidal kids, the girls in cosplay, and how much they, Tai, and Agumon had accomplished in Koromon Village. They knew they had a long way to go before the Digital World was restored to its former glory, but what interested Matt right now were the suicides and the girls in cosplay.

"Get what?" Gabumon inquired.

"The sudden DigiDestined suicides and the girls in cosplay," Matt replied. "The ones we met were all friendly and upbeat from what the others had told us after we met up. Even Rosa was sweet, though she was all over Ken, which didn't sit well with Wormmon at first." The Child of Friendship remembered the precocious young Spanish DigiDestined. Her constant attraction to Ken had been immature, and grated on Wormmon's nerves, but Matt had found Rosa's infatuation adorable. The blond hated to think she was among the suicidal.

"Yes, that would have been sad," agreed Gabumon. "And she was only five at the time. She was annoying to Wormmon, but she wasn't depressed."

"I know, Gabumon. That's why I'm worried about Rosa and the other foreign DigiDestined we met. I hope they haven't committed suicide; they weren't showing signs of depression of anything."

"And we can't go to the other countries...at least not within minutes," added the Digimon of Friendship. "Davis and Ken are dead, so Imperialdramon is out of the question, and we can't choose a Digital World's gate's destination. Besides, only one gate can be opened at a time."

"All we can do is hope they're not among them and that Izzy, Sora, T.K., Biyomon, and Tentomon find something." Then Matt perked up. "And I feel like joining them."

Gabumon yawned. "I think we need to rest and let them search; we've accomplished a lot in Koromon Village, and that's taken a lot out of me. Besides, I know you're tired, too."

"I just want to do a little bit of searching," Matt pleaded, then yawned. "I want to search around here and near the TV station."

"You're clearly tired, Matt. You need rest," Gabumon insisted. "You can't function like that. Working on Koromon Village drained us. And I'm sure Tai and Agumon are asleep."

"I know they're down for the count for sure, especially Tai," assured Matt, covering a yawn that proved his partner right. "But I have some energy in me, Gabumon. I can just head out to Fuji TV, scan the perimeter, and then come back here and check for anything in this neighborhood." He yawned again and this time had trouble keeping his eyes open.

That further cemented the Digimon of Friendship's point. "Matt, you're exhausted and not thinking clearly. Trust me, once you get some sleep, you'll think clearly and be glad that you didn't go out there and wear yourself out. You'll be refreshed and ready to do your part with a fresh mind."

The Child of Friendship yawned again, this time longer. "Okay, you win, Gabumon."

"I promise you, Izzy, Sora, T.K., Biyomon, and Tentomon will find some info in no time."

"I hope so."

"I know so. Now let's hit the sack."

…

"What the hell?" T.K. wondered as he arrived at Heighton View Terrace. After transforming again, he had hitched a ride on a bus en route to the DigiDestined's childhood apartment complex, following the energy he had picked up from a witch. He hoped it was a witch this time. The bus had stopped a block away from it, so he had to hoof it the rest of the way.

The Child of Hope looked up to notice a small figure on the roof. His eyes widened as he saw another figure join the first, followed by what appeared to be a floating speck and an orange one.

"I hope those aren't who I think they are," T.K. said, as he squinted his eyes for a better look but still couldn't make out the figures to know for sure. He thought Kabuterimon had kept Izzy locked in his grip, assuming it _was_ the Child of Knowledge up there. And if it was, was the other one Tai?

Regardless, T.K. had to stop them; he knew what they were planning to do, and it wasn't to get a view of the night sky. The Child of Hope didn't have time to board the elevator inside, so he decided to to hop from one balcony railing to the next to climb up.

The blond reached the roof to see that it was indeed Tai and Izzy standing over the railing, with Agumon and Tentomon desperately trying to pull them back. "What are you doing here?" both asked in unison.

"I can ask you guys the same thing," said T.K. "And as for how I made it up here..." The blonde pulled himself up. "I found a ladder on the side of the building and found stairs leading the rest of way up."

"I don't remember Highton View Terrace having stairs on the outside," said Tentomon.

"They just added them," T.K. lied.

"And what are you wearing?" Agumon asked, scanning T.K.'s magical boy attire.

"Never mind that for now!" T.K. urged. "What's going on? I thought you were taking Izzy home, Tentomon!"

"Well, about that..." the Digimon of Knowledge began sheepishly. "Izzy broke free, and I had to save him. By that time, I dedigivolved due to hunger. Then Izzy decided to make a pit stop here."

"And met up with Tai?" T.K.'s gaze fell on the dazed bushy-haired teen to see the same witch's kiss on the Child of Courage's neck.

"Tai was already here when we showed up," said Tentomon.

"Tai snuck out of the apartment to come here," Agumon added.

"Then they met up here, saying something about going together to a place with no pain, no suffering, only freedom," the insectoid Digimon finished.

"A suicide pact," T.K. concluded. And the witches' kisses on his allies' necks probably explained why people, including DigiDestined, around the world were committing suicide. No way would T.K. tell them that, though.

"This is just getting weirder," Tentomon said. "And what's worse? We don't know what or who's causing it."

"We'll look into that after we pull Tai and Izzy away from the edge!"

"Come on, Izzy." Tai's voice was heard in a dreamy tone. "We have to go."

"No!" T.K. returned his attention to Tai, who yanked away from Agumon's grip and jumped off the edge. Izzy, having pulled away from Tentomon, followed. The Child of Hope jumped down after them, ignoring the pleas of the two Digimon. T.K. had to make it underneath Tai and Izzy before they kissed concrete. And it would be their last kiss. He managed to grab Tai's hand, but Izzy was falling too fast for the blond. T.K. definitely wasn't going to catch him in time.

At least, that was what he thought, as Tai, Izzy, and T.K. suddenly stopped seconds before making impact. T.K. knew he hadn't done anything, as he glanced around to see that they were floating in a silver energy orb.

"What?" The Child of Hope wondered as the orb gently placed the trio on the ground. Was there a stray Digimon lurking around? Or a witch? T.K shook his head at both possibilities, knowing neither would help anyone. Those possibilities were dashed completely when T.K. found himself facing a white hooded figure with purple and gray trim along the cloak. The figure also wielded a staff similar to the Child of Hope's, only the figure's was silver. The figure also had its head down, making it impossible to see its face. T.K. raised an eyebrow.

"Um, thanks," he said halfheartedly. "Who are you? Are you magical, too?"

Before T.K. could get any information, Heighton View Terrace shimmered, followed by their surroundings, taking on a surreal landscape straight out of a twisted collage.

"The witch. It's here." T.K. surveyed the surroundings consisting of stray balconies, broken windows, and fragments of apartment complexes. The moon – or the object serving as the moon – hung in the purplish-black sky like a cardboard imitation in a stage performance, along with paper thin stars. A paper helicopter flew above them, heading down a dark corridor, where more apartment fragments lined either end. The Child of Hope knew the witch was probably at the end of that corridor. And the fact that the hooded figure started after the helicopter cemented that possibility.

"Wait! What about Tai and Izzy?" T.K. called after the cloaked person. "We can't leave them here!"

The hooded figure stopped to turn around and, without looking up, pointed its staff toward the now-unconscious pair, encircling them in a silver orb similar to the one from earlier. The figure nodded to T.K.

"We still can't leave them here, though," said the Child of Hope, but the cloaked figure only patted the silver orb in response. "Is that supposed to reassure me?"

The figure nodded, then continued down the complex-lined path.

T.K. shrugged. "Well, I guess I'll have to trust him...or her." He followed the figure, hoping after he vanquished the witch that Tai and Izzy would be okay.

 **Hope you enjoyed and feel free to review, follow, fave or just give a silent thumbs-up! :-) Updates will still be at a snail's pace due to what I explained before the chapter, so please bear with me and Happy Holidays! You guys are awesome and it makes my day when people enjoy my work! It lifts my mood. Heck, I enjoy writing in general, which is why I am seeking to become a writer someday. It's a long, slow road, but I will reach that goal. I believe I can, and I ask that you all believe in me, too! Seriously, thank you all SO much for sticking with me for the past five years I've been active on here. It's been an amazing five years, and I plan on giving you all more years to come of quality writing, not rushed, poorly-written mess. Again, the slow and the steady wins the race (which contradicts with how I enjoy working in quick-service restaurants, lol, but that's in terms of restaurants). One last time, THANK YOU ALL!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hi, guys! Finally done with the next chapter! I have been balancing work, writing, cosplay, conventions, reading, studying Asian languages, exercise, and playing video games! It works out in the end, trust me. I actually enjoy my job now as a cake decorator; it and the library are where I do most of my thinking, and I sometimes come up with new ideas for my fanfics and original works. Speaking of originals, feel free to check out my Takeru Daisy page on FictionPress; it has all of my finished originals and let me know what you think! I enjoy writing and always give it my all! Hopefully, since my job is only in the morning, I'll have more time to write more, which means updates will be a little more frequent. No promises, though. But I can say that this will definitely be shorter than Arcade Armageddon, which I recommend you read, too when you have the chance.**

 **As I said in earlier chapters, I don't own Madoka Magica or Digimon!**

 **Chapter 4**

"Why can't we have more realistic-looking witches? Why do they have to look like some kid's work of art gone horribly wrong?" T.K. wondered. "As if the damn mushroom wasn't enough." He and the cloaked figure had reached the end of the labyrinth, which was inhabited by a witch resembling a cross between a train's boiler and a garbage barge. Four piles of garbage orbited its "body," eight obsidian pipes protruded from all directions like an octopus' tentacles. The stench of rotting fish, manure, and other decomposed substances filled the air, strong enough to knock out even Azulongmon. The Child of Hope definitely needed a shower when he returned home. _If_ he returned home.

The witch's labyrinth reminded T.K. of a hybrid between a dumpster's interior and the inside of a train's cab. Copper pipes lined the garbage-stained metal walls, while flies swarmed throughout. The floor consisted of trash and other waste.

"This can't be happening to me." Then the blond noticed something crawling on his feet. Looking down, he saw a group of maggots nibbling on the tips of his boots and trying to make a home out of them. T.K. knew he stank from the last fight but never thought he _completely_ reeked of fungus. But that didn't mean he had "Takaishi Apartments" written anywhere on his footwear, as he burned the larvae away with his staff. Those bugs were bigger nuisances than the Numemon.

"T.K.!" A familiar voice called.

"Oh no..." the Child of Hope groaned as he surveyed the labyrinth.

"Up here, T.K. and whoever you are!"

T.K. and the cloaked figure looked up to see Agumon and Tentomon suspended in a trash can-shaped cage above them. How did _they_ end up in the labyrinth?

"Agumon? Tentomon? What are you guys doing here?" the Child of Hope asked.

"We could ask the same question," Tentomon retorted. "We were still on the roof of Highton View Terrace until everything around us changed and we ended up on top of that thing." The insectoid Digimon pointed at the witch. "Then it grabbed us and stuffed us in this trash can cage. If you could get us out of here, that would be great."

"Look out!" Agumon urged, pointing behind the pair.

"What?" But as T.K. turned around, a pile of trash smacked him square in the face, knocking him to the garbage-ridden ground. His mother was _definitely_ not going to suspect anything about him now. Hell, _nobody_ would smell him ten miles away at that point.

"Are you okay?" the Digimon of Knowledge asked.

"Yeah, just a little annoyed." T.K. climbed to his feet and wiped his face. "That's one mud facial Mimi would have rather missed." The blond regarded the witch to see the cloaked figure already engaging it, staff pointed toward the garbage train's boiler. Silver light surrounded the staff's tip as the figure made impact with one of the garbage piles protecting the "body," incinerating the trash mound.

"Let us help, T.K.!" Agumon pleaded.

"Yeah, get us out if you would!" Tentomon added.

"You guys will just get in the way!" T.K. insisted. "Let me handle this monster, okay?"

"Are you insane, T.K.?" the Digimon of Knowledge shrieked. "If it's a Digimon, we can take it on!"

"It's not a Digimon!" the Child of Hope blurted out, but then realized what he had just said. Looking up at the two pairs of widened eyes, he knew he couldn't take back his words. But he remembered that Agumon and Tentomon had already seen T.K. as a magical boy, so there was no trying to put that genie back in the bottle. At that point, the Child of Hope realized they might as well know the creature wasn't a Digimon, but he wasn't going to tell them anything beyond that. "I don't know what it is, but I know you two won't stand a chance against it, especially when neither of you can digivolve without your partners."

"But you don't have Patamon, so what are _you_ going to do?" the insectoid Digimon asked.

"Don't worry about that," T.K. assured them, then fired a stream of light at the cage. The cage shattered upon impact, freeing Agumon and Tentomon. "You guys need to get away from here and get to Tai and Izzy! They're down that hallway!" The Child of Hope motioned to the corridor he and the cloaked figure had come from.

"Seriously, T.K..." Agumon made one final attempt to convince the blonde to reconsider his decision. "...we've fought worse!"

"I know, but Tai and Izzy need you more," the blonde insisted. "Just trust me, guys. Can you do that?"

Both Digimon fell silent, thinking it over briefly before Tentomon spoke up. "We trust you, T.K.."

T.K. sighed. "Good. I'll see you later."

Agumon nodded. "Let's go, Tentomon!"

When both Digimon proceeded down the corridor, T.K. directed his attention to the witch, which was clobbering the cloaked figure miserably with its "arms." It had one raised over the fallen magical person and then swung down. Memories of his friends' deaths flashed through his mind as he saw the witch's "arm" swinging down on the figure. T.K. remembered the sight of his fallen comrades, with bruises and gashes marring their skin, their clothes in shreds, and their blood staining the grounds of the Digital World. Patamon's death, specifically, had morphed his occassional spark of anger into a blazing furnace of pure rage, devoid of even a shred of empathy. It had been the Digimon of Hope's second death, and T.K. would never forget his best friend's bloodied and carnage-ridden body. He couldn't; it motivated him to keep up the fight until only one combatant remained standing.

And he _would_ continue the fight as long as darkness still prevailed in Odaiba and his allies faced trouble. That didn't exclude the hooded figure, as rage coursed through T.K., relighting that wild fire that had burned within during the MaloMyotismon battle. The Child of Hope refused to let another individual die at the hands of darkness, and it didn't have to be a Digimon.

Without another moment to lose, T.K. jumped into the fray to come to the mysterious figure's rescue and aimed his staff at the descending "arm" and opened fire, striking his mark and putting the overgrown pipe out of commission.

"Are you okay?" T.K. rushed to the cloaked figure's side, the latter slow to get up.

T.K. had no time to check on the figure for long; another pipe threatened to flatten them. The Child of Hope deflected it with another blast, then shifted to the offensive. He charged forward, but was stopped by a tug at the hem of his tunic. The blond noticed the hooded being was trying to stop him. T.K.'s mystery ally was on its knees but then gradually gained its footing.

"What?" T.K. asked. "If you want to talk, now's really not a good time."

The hooded figure shook its head and pointed at the witch, which fired a pile of garbage at the pair. T.K. jumped out of the way, grabbing the figure.

"Okay, what the hell are you trying to say?" the Child of Hope asked when they were safe and out of attack range. "Do you have a suggestion on how to move in?"

The figure nodded, then raised its staff to T.K.'s, crossing it at the tip. T.K. raised his eyebrow, wondering what the figure was getting at.

"I'm lost," the Child of Hope admitted.

The cloaked figure kept its staff crossed with T.K.'s, then pointed at the witch. The creature opened its "mouth" - the boiler's opening- which glowed orange and threatened to unleash a stream of flames at the pair. The figure pushed the Child of Hope out of the way as the witch released its attack. It spun its staff, creating a silver barrier similar to the orbs that had saved Tai and Izzy earlier. The figure expanded the barrier, pushing the angry blaze back to its owner. The witch took the full force of its attack through its mouth, causing its "body" to turn red and two of its "arms" to clatter to the ground.

"The weak spot," T.K. realized, now knowing how they could win the fight and end their garbage train wreck of a nightmare. "Though I'm pretty sure he's not going to let us in nicely." The blonde studied the orbiting garbage piles, knowing they would have to get past those first and then provoke the witch to open its mouth so they could have a clear shot. As T.K. glanced from the garbage piles to the witch's body, flashbacks of protecting the Destiny Stones raced through the blond's mind. The only difference was that he and his friends had failed that mission. T.K. refused to botch the one before him, which meant he needed the figure's help. The blond had attended enough funerals.

"Hey, I have an idea," he finally said.

The cloaked figure regarded him by slightly turning its head. T.K. still couldn't see its face, but that was far from important at the moment.

"I know how we can bring this witch down." The Child of Hope received a nod in response before continuing. "We need to attack this freakshow's boiler when its mouth is open, but I'll need your help to keep its arms occupied for me. That way, I can focus on the mouth while the witch is busy trying to grab you. Can you do that?"

The hooded figure nodded again, as two more piles of garbage flew in their direction. The two magical beings quickly sidestepped out of range, then faced the witch.

"Let's go!" T.K. and the figure moved in, with the unknown ally focusing on the witch's remaining metallic tentacles and surrounding garbage. T.K. set his sights on the heart of the witch, or rather what was _protecting_ the heart. The Child of Hope raised his staff to attack as the witch opened its "mouth" to release another blaze. The blaze struck T.K. full force, pinning him to the ground. The blond felt his strength escaping him, but he looked to his left to see the cloaked figure bound in one of the witch's pipes. The pipe was squeezing the figure like an orange, and struggling against the witch's grip felt like fighting against a block of cement. The figure was kicking and squirming under the witch's grasp, but the witch's hold remained firm. T.K.'s rage blazed even more intensely as he watched his mystery ally start to lose consciousness and eventually go limp.

That enraged T.K. even more than earlier, as the Child of Hope struggled against the heat wave currently pummeling him. He gripped his staff, fueled by the anger and hatred for the powers of darkness that came with witnessing his friends' and Patamon's deaths. The Digimon of Hope's death, especially, ignited the bloodlust within him, and Patamon's second death, along with the loss of his fellow DigiDestined, intensified it. And seeing his cloaked, mystery ally just at death's doorstep caused his blood to boil many times over. Unleashing a scream and a series of incomprehensible curses, T.K. thrust his staff through the burning stream, causing the attack to disperse and fizzle into mere sparks. The Child of Hope scowled at the witch, body enveloping itself in golden light.

"Never again," T.K. growled. "Never again!" He charged at the witch, staff pointed at its mouth, which opened for another attack. T.K. unleashed a bloodlust-filled scream as he thrust his staff square into the witch's mouth.

The witch's body cracked, flames shooting out in all directions before it exploded into light and fiery coal mounds. The pipes clattered to the ground, releasing the hooded figure, who collapsed to the ground motionless. The blonde landed and released a series of uninterpreted profanities as the witch's parts and garbage clattered and splattered respectively around him. T.K glared at the disintegrating witch parts and the wavering surroundings, which revealed a Grief Seed after all traces of the witch disappeared. The pair was returned to the streets in front of Highton View Terrace. The Child of Hope picked up the Grief Seed, looking up at the moon overlooking the apartment complex. He thought of his deceased friends and how horribly they died at the hands of MaloMyotismon. The blonde refused to allow anymore of his friends to die, which was exactly why he was not going to tell Sora, Tai, Matt, Izzy, Joe, and Mimi about magical people or witches, who cared what Kyubey said.

Gripping the Grief Seed, T.K. approached his ally, who began to sit up. He breathed a sigh of relief. That was exactly why he didn't want his friends involved; it had been terrifying enough to see the mystery being having a brush with death. The Child of Hope did not want to imagine any of the other surviving DigiDestined fighting witches and paying for it. Besides, as T.K. had told Kyubey, he didn't need them. But what was he going to do with Agumon and Tentomon, both of whom had seen him as a magical boy and ended up caught in a labyrinth? The blonde knew they would surely tell Izzy and Tai about it once the teens came to. How was T.K. going to clean _that_ up? He didn't have the power to erase memories.

That would be next on his to-do list, as he wanted to make sure the cloaked figure was okay. It looked away once T.K. knelt down to see how it was doing. "Thanks for your help and for saving my friends." The Child of Hope offered the figure the Grief Seed, but the being shook its head and pushed it away.

"You were hurt pretty badly," said T.K. "Almost crushed, to be exact."

The hooded figure shook its head again.

"Are you sure?" T.K. offered the figure his hand, but the mystery ally pulled away from him. The figure slowly climbed to its feet, still not facing the blond, making him wonder why the figure didn't want to make eye contact or accept his help. Was it shy? Did it think T.K. was scary in some way? Granted, the Child of Hope lost his temper in the face of the dark powers, but he never intended to frighten anyone. It was a result of his battle scars and experience.

"Can you walk?" T.K. asked as he offered his hand again, but the figure pulled away once again and vanished in a blaze of silver, leaving T.K. a little stunned. A series of questions swam through his head. Who _was_ that figure and where did he – or she – come from? It was obviously a magical person, that much T.K. knew. Was it one of his friends? It couldn't have been Tai or Izzy; they had nearly had a final date with concrete before the figure saved them, which the Child of Hope was grateful for. Could it have been Matt or Sora? Or Joe and Mimi? It could be Joe, considering the silver staff and gray trim along the mystery being's cloak, but then again, as T.K. thought about it, the figure was not as tall as the Child of Reliability. In fact, it was even shorter than T.K. himself.

The blond wasn't going to solve that mystery overnight, though, as he reverted to his human form and used the Grief Seed to clean his Soul Gem. "I'll use it just one more time," he said, examining the Seed. "I don't want the Grief Seed to absorb too much." Kyubey had explained the consequences of a Grief Seed taking in too much despair, and they were anything but positive. "I'm still figuring out what to do with Agumon and Tentomon. If I had to deal with a witch hatching at home, Mom would have a heart attack."

T.K. suddenly yawned, which cut into his thinking. He had no idea how tired he was, but then again, being a magical boy _did_ take a lot out of a guy. He looked up to see the first break of dawn in the now-scarlet sky. It had taken him all night to find a witch to replenish his Soul Gem. No way would he be able to handle school in a few hours. He needed his to fall into a coma for at least eight hours, meaning he would have to use some magic to keep away suspicion of his absence from classes. T.K. already had to use some to tip off his mother earlier.

"T.K.!"

The blond turned around to see Agumon and Tentomon step from behind the alley between Highton View Terrace and another building, carrying Tai and Izzy respectively. The Child of Hope almost forgot about them, specifically how the two Rookies had seen T.K. as a magical boy and ended up caught in the witch's labyrinth. The blond was still wondering how he was going to explain, but he hadn't anticipated doing it this soon. He wished he had the ability to erase memories or at least make them think everything had been a dream. Unfortunately, neither option was available to T.K.

"Agumon. Tentomon." The Child of Hope kept his voice guarded as they approached him.

"Whatever happened?" Tentomon asked, constantly shifting Izzy so the Child of Knowledge wouldn't slip off of his back. "What was that...metal machine thing that captured us?"

"And what was that world we were in?" added Agumon.

"Look, guys, I can't explain right now," responded T.K. "I have to get home, and you need to get Izzy and Tai home. Their parents are going to get frantic if they find out they're gone. Besides, everything's complicated right now, and I don't have time to explain."

"Complicated?" Tentomon repeated, flying closer to T.K. and being careful not to drop his partner.

"Guys, I have to hurry home, and you need to do the same, especially when school is not that far off." The blond nodded to the lightening sky.

"Okay, T.K.," Agumon relented. "But you _will_ tell us everything later, right?"

"Yeah, I will," the Child of Hope lied. "Don't worry, I'll explain everything later."

The two Digimon nodded, almost reluctantly, then went their separate ways, with Agumon entering Highton View Terrace carrying Tai, and Tentomon hauling Izzy the rest of the way back to the Child of Knowledge's place.

T.K. turned the other way toward the train station, wishing Patamon were still alive so he could just fly home to Setagaya. Just thinking about Patamon and how long it would take for him and the other Digimon to be reconfigured angered him, and the fact that Davis, Ken, Cody, Yolei, and Kari were not coming back at all enraged him even more. He may have vanquished MaloMyotismon, their killer, but the loss may well have been putrifying snake venom within T.K.'s heart. His wish to exterminate all agents of darkness was changing all of that; nobody had to die the way his friends had, which had been demonstrated tonight by how he had saved Tentomon, Agumon, Tai, Izzy, and the cloaked figure. That was exactly why he didn't want any of the others involved or knowing about witches, magical beings, or Kyubey. However, now that Agumon and Tentomon had seen T.K. as a magical boy and been caught in a witch's labyrinth, what was he going to do? He didn't have the ability to erase memories or turn back time, so how would he get out of that one? Was Kyubey going to be proven right? Would his friends eventually find out on their own, no matter how hard he kept trying? If so, how would he be able to protect them, then? And what about the hooded figure, who had refused to even show its face, let alone speak or accept help from T.K.? Apparently it was just fine on its own, considering how it had vanished right in front of T.K.. It probably just didn't need T.K.'s help tonight. The blond understood, for he himself had experienced a few moments in the Digital World when he hadn't needed any help, specifically against the once Digimon Emperor. But the question remained: who was the figure really?

Another yawn signified both dilemmas would have to be filed away in the mental "later in the day" folder, as T.K. only had his mind set on his bed. Luckily, he still had some money left for a one-way train ticket. He continued, albeit sluggishly, to the train station for an excursion to dreamland.

…

"It will not be long now," said Kyubey. The catlike creature had been watching Takeru and the beings called Digmon from a nearby streetlight. He watched the boy walk down the street, presumably toward home. He had overheard Takeru's conversation with the two Digimon, who, from what they had been discussing, had caught the blond in his magical boy form and ended up in a witch's labyrinth. A sudden thought hit Kyubey. How were the Digimon able to see the labyrinth and the witch? Did it have something to do with the bond with their humans, namely Taichi and Koushiro? Kyubey had not heard of such an instance before; he had only been focusing on the humans. But if what the two creatures – Agumon and Tentomon – were claiming was true, he wanted to see it for himself. Especially when said beings would more than likely tell Taichi and Koushiro about what they had seen, which would then travel to Sora and Yamato. And Takeru would have an enormous fire on his hands to put out. _If_ he could put it out. "Takeru will soon find out he cannot continue to hide this from his friends forever, nor can he extinguish every being of darkness, what with millions of witches in this world and hundreds in Odaiba alone. And both, specifically the latter, will eventually catch up with him."

…

"Good. All clear." T.K. climbed up to the porch of his and his mother's apartment. The ride back from Nerima to Setagaya had taken thirty to forty minutes at most, with the Child of Hope periodically nodding off along the way. He was more exhausted than he thought; he could barely keep his eyes open during the short walk home.

T.K. practically heard the siren song of his bed as he picked the lock on the sliding door to his room with his staff. Stepping inside, the blond greeted a clone he created of himself. That was another of his abilities as a magical boy. Kyubey _did_ tell T.K. he was special, after all, and seeing a magical person with more than one special ability surprised the cat-like creature even more, making T.K. one of the first. The blond didn't think it was _that_ big of a deal; he wasn't in it for power, though he knew having magic that doubled in strength when it made contact with a witch -a being of darkness- _and_ creating astral clones of himself had its perks. The latter ability had come in handy today – or rather, the previous day, and would continue in a few hours. No way would he be able to function in school later; he was confident his double would manage for one day, and the clone's respectful bow to its master proved that further, signifying that it had done its job well.

"Did Mom really need help to...well, yesterday?" That didn't have to be true; it was actually a cover story to keep the others from finding out about T.K. But the astral double's nod surprised the Child of Hope. Unfortunately, it couldn't speak, one of the limits of T.K.'s ability. That would also pose an issue for later, specifically when the clone interacted with Matt and the others. He hoped they would write it off as T.K. just having a quiet day. Everyone had those days every once in a while.

"Really?" The teen's eyes widened. "What all did you guys do?"

Grabbing a pen and paper, the double wrote, _Cleaned her office and the whole apartment._

"Wow. Did Mom suspect anything odd? Like my not talking?"

The double shook its head.

"Cool. She probably thought I was having one of my quiet days. That being said, I need you to cover for me and go to school in my place in a few. Can you do that?"

The clone nodded, almost too eagerly. T.K. couldn't help but wonder if it was starting to develop a personality all of a sudden, not that he minded, as long as it didn't morph into anything unlike the real T.K.'s and raise suspicion. Nonetheless, the Child of Hope had faith his double would pull through.

"Remember not to do anything that'll make everyone suspicious or act unusual. Aside from staying silent, of course. If anything, they'll think the same way as Mom. In any case, I'm counting on you later." T.K. received another nod from his clone, then continued, "Anyway, I need to take a shower and turn in, so it's time." Reverting to his human form, T.K. held his Soul Gem to his astral self. The gold gem glowed brightly – thank goodness he'd managed to find a witch before heading home – and the double disintegrated into gilded energy the gem then assimilated. T.K. sighed, relieved to have dodged a bullet...at least at the moment. He still didn't know what to do about Agumon and Tentomon, but he knew that if he had generated solutions to some of his and his friends' problems while protecting the Digital World with them in the past, ways to tip off the two Digimon would eventually present themselves.


	5. Chapter 5

**Finally able to get this one up! As I said before, updates are slow but it will be worth it, I promise you all that. Plus, after looking at Dark TK fanart, I'm re-inspired to keep moving with this fic! I can't wait to get further into it and I'm pretty sure you guys can't, either. Also, the rating will change later because there will be some scenes in later chapters that aren't suitable for the kiddies. Just a heads up!  
**

 **I do not own Madoka or Digimon!**

 **Chapter 5**

" _What's going on?" Matt wondered, surveying his surroundings consisting of an ebony cloud-covered sky, with lightning streaking across it._ _Odaiba resembled a metropolitan wasteland with downed buildings, craters, scattered fires, and corpses littering the fractured streets._

 _Matt stood on the edge of what was once the apex of the Fuji TV building, taking in the destruction around him. What could have caused all of this? Had a stray Digimon broken free and incited a rampage? Did it have anything to do with the disturbances occurring in Odaiba?_

 _"We had just learned about these disturbances yesterday. How can they develop this quickly? And what the hell am I wearing?" The Child of Friendship looked down at the outfit. Or rather,_ half _of an outfit, consisting of ripped jeans with a skull similar to WereGarurumon's, a buckle covering his chest, fingerless blue gloves, and spiked brass knuckles. Upon noticing a sparkle on his left pantsleg, the blond lifted it to see a sapphire gem glowing from the skull's forehead on the pantsleg. To top off the bizarre ensemble, Matt's blond hair extended to his shoulders. "I'm dressed like WereGarurumon. That's just freaky. Did I merge with Gabumon?"_

 _"What are we going to do, Matt?" Gabumon's voice cut into Matt's thoughts._

 _"Whoa, freaky. I've definitely merged with him if he's talking to me from inside my head." The blond laughed halfheartedly._

 _"What are you talking about, Matt? I'm not in your head? I'm right behind you."_

 _The older Ishida turned around to see that his partner was indeed behind him. The Digimon was out of breath as if he had been running to catch up to Matt. That erased any possibility of Matt merging with Gabumon. The reptile-wolf Digimon's fur was disheveled, more than likely from his efforts to keep up with his human partner. Both scanned the totaled Odaiba._

 _"This happened so quickly," the blond said. "Gennai just told us about these disturbances yesterday, and..."_

 _The Child of Friendship was soon cut off by a set of obsidian claws whistling past him, knocking him backward. He looked up to see a massive purple dragon with six wings, golden eyes, and an upside-down Crest of Hope on its stomach. Wait a minute, that was T.K.'s Crest. Was it a Digimon?It couldn't be a digivolved Patamon. Besides, he was_ _probably still in the reconfiguration stage._ _Whether it was a Digimon or not, it was anything but good news, even more so when it glared down at Matt, who saw something all too familiar in its eyes._ _The blond didn't quite know what, though, but never received a chance to ask himself that question, as seven other figures tackled the dragon. The creature retaliated with a stream of magenta flames, sending them hurtling into the nearby fallen apartments._ _Matt turned in the direction of the damage, and when the smoke and debris from the attack cleared, he and Gabumon rushed toward the victims,_ _with Matt already arriving at the gruesome scene within seconds and the Digimon of Friendship still yards away._

 _"What the...?" the Child of Friendship wondered. "How did I get here so...fast?" His musings were cut short upon seeing his friends sprawled across the subdued apartments._

 _It can't be...Matt gazed at all of his friends and their Digimon. All of them fell victim to that dragon. The blond also saw they were wearing strange outfits resembling their Digimons' skins with weird gems on a random spot on each DigiDestined's costume. Izzy, Tentomon, Biyomon, Agumon, Tai, Sora, and...Cody? What was Cody doing alive? He was dead. T.K. said he was, right? Unless the Child of Reliable Knowledge survived the fight somehow. But that was impossible, according to T.K.. And not only that, Cody's attire wasn't based on his Digimon's skin. Instead, the youngest DigiDestined was clad in a white cloak with gray and purple trim and wielded a silver staff resembling a kendo. Things kept growing weirder and weirder, and considering Matt had been exposed to stranger things in the Digital World, one would think he would be used to bizarre and indescribable by now._

 _"Matt! What happened?"_

 _The Child of Friendship turned to see his partner catching up to him._

 _"That dragon clobbered them," Matt responded. "All of our friends. Who or what is he?"_

 _"Someone you care for dearly."_

 _Matt looked to his left to see a white catlike creature trot up to his side, beady ruby eyes on the teen._

 _"What do you mean?" the blond inquired. "Who the hell are you and what's going on?"_

 _Matt's questions were cut short by the dragon swatting at him once more. He leaped out of the way, then shot a glare at the feline-esque creature. "Seriously, what the fuck do you mean 'someone I care for dearly?' Again, who are you?"_

 _"I doubt that is any of your concern right now, as you can see." The white cat pointed up at the dragon._

 _Matt looked up to see Gabumon in the dragon's claws. The reptile-wolf Digimon squirmed against its clutches but couldn't break free._

 _"Gabumon!" The blond started forward, but was immediately pinned down by the dragon's tail. Matt writhed under its weight, but the tail's grasp remained firm. Matt had no idea what the hell he was up against, having just been told about the disturbances the previous day. He and the others had no time to prepare or find out what they really were, nor did he know why Cody was with them. So many questions raced through Matt's mind; none of what was happening made sense. None of it. And as the dragon unleashed another stream of flames directed at Matt, the answers to those questions didn't matter anymore, especially as the angry rose-colored fire engulfed him._

Matt woke up with a jolt and in a cold sweat. He glanced around to see he was back in his room. Same rock music-related posters adorned the walls, and Matt's computer stared blankly at him from its perch on his desk in the corner in front of him. His guitar leaned against his closet across from the desk. Yep, he was back in the comforting arms of his broom closet-worthy room, with Gabumon sleeping at the foot of his bed. Sunlight penetrated the translucent light blue curtains next to his bed.

"Just a dream." Matt sighed in relief. Even though it _had_ all been a dream, it had felt real; specifically the dragon's flames threatening to swallow him whole. He felt the heat licking at every cell in his body and charbroiling them like a grill cranked up too high. Who or what was that dragon and why did it look familiar to him in the dream, most notably the Crest of Hope on its stomach? T.K. was the bearer of the Crest of Hope, making him wonder whether or not that dragon had indeed been Patamon. Again, that was impossible. One, Patamon was being reconfigured, and two, even _if_ Patamon were already reconfigured, he wouldn't digivolve into that monstrosity...unless T.K. were to turn on his own allies. And that was something the younger blond would never do. Matt couldn't even imagine his brother going turncoat. He couldn't. It had to have been a stray Digimon. Besides, the Crest of Hope had been upside down, so that ruled out any chances of Patamon or T.K. being behind it.

Speaking of T.K., his brother hadn't been present anywhere in that dream. Where had he been? Moreover, Cody had been alive. That was what he'd found the strangest because Cody was dead.

Then again, Matt was probably just over-analyzing it, something Izzy would do, were the Child of Knowledge in the blond's place. It _had_ been just a dream, after all. He also never dressed as WereGarurumon, nor did he have the werewolf Digimon's speed. However, a part of Matt _did_ wish he was able to actually fight by his partner's side instead of merely spectate.

The blond glanced at the clock on his side table, which read seven. He had an hour and a half until school started, but his mind was racing like a go-kart from that dream, making him too wired to go back to sleep. He decided to get up and fix a substantial breakfast for once. Today _was_ Friday, after all. The blond took one last look at the still-slumbering Gabumon, envying him as he stepped out to prepare for the day.

"You're up early," Hiroaki pointed out when he saw his elder son entering the kitchen area to fix his breakfast. He leaned over a cup of coffee while watching what looked like the morning news, where Matt heard the words "suicide" and "cosplay." The blonde perked up in alarm.

"Turn the TV up, Dad!" Matt urged, and Hiroaki complied.

"Good morning to you, too, son."

"Sorry, Dad." Matt calmed down a little, following up with a brief "good morning" before directing his attention to the news.

 _"The suicide rate has been growing exponentially quickly in Odaiba and other parts of Tokyo in the past week, with two attempts having almost happened last night according to a witness in an apartment complex next door to Highton View Terrace. The witness sent a video of two teens jumping off of the Highton View Terrace roof. She also reported two creatures behind them, one a dinosaur and the other a ladybug. The most bizarre thing was that the two teens disappeared_ just _before hitting the ground and then reappearing a few moments later unharmed. It remains unknown how that happened, and we do not know if the creatures have persuaded the teens to attempt the suicide in any way."_ The TV switched to a video of two teenage boys indeed jumping off the Highton View Terrace roof and then vanishing just shy of the hard concrete before reappearing unscathed. Matt did not know how that happened, but he _did_ know who the jumpers were.

"Tai and Izzy!" the blond realized, closing in on the television.

"What were they doing up there at night?" Hiroaki wondered. "And why would they attempt suicide?"

"I don't know. Tai loves living too much, and I don't think Izzy was doing it for an experiment," said Matt.

"And how did they survive the jump? Disappearing and then reappearing unfazed? That's a little peculiar, son." Hiroaki took a few moments to assess the event before adding, "Do you think a Digimon is behind the suicides? Maybe another one saved Tai and Izzy."

"I don't know," the blond replied. Even though most of the suicide attempts are by DigiDestined, he thought, remembering what Gennai had said. They didn't know if the creatures the Australian Agent Hogan saw _were_ Digimon or not. And if a creature _had_ been around Highton View Terrace with his friends, then one of the cosplay girls may have been there to save them.

Of course, it was all a hunch. The only way to find out for sure was to ask Tai and Izzy what had happened. But first, Matt needed food in his system, especially when he had woken up early. Besides, Tai was probably still asleep, so calling the bushy-haired teen was out of the question. Izzy was probably in the same position from his near-meeting with the pavement as well; therefore, there wasn't much he could do right now.

With that, Matt began to raid the pantry to fix his first substantial breakfast in what felt like an eternity. The Child of Friendship sure as hell couldn't even _function_ on an empty stomach, let alone figure out the mystery about the creatures, suicides, and the cosplayers.

"Tai and Izzy should be on their way to school themselves." Matt was taking his time down his preferred route past Fuji TV toward Odaiba Middle School. The blond hoped Tai and Izzy arrived already so he would have a chance to ask them what had happened the previous night. No way would either of them voluntarily attempt suicide, so Matt was pretty certain they had been under the influence of one of the mysterious creatures.

"What the...?" The Child of Friendship froze as he neared the school, which was only a block away, when he saw a blue-haired girl lying unconscious halfway out of the alley in front of him. Kneeling to the girl's side, he lifted her and shook her to try to awaken her. From her green uniform with a white collar and blue necktie, she clearly went to Odaiba Middle and was headed to school herself.

"Are you okay?" Matt asked, but received no answer. Then he noticed some sort of mark on her neck. The mark was shaped like a tiki torch. The last time Matt checked, tattoos weren't allowed in school...assuming it _was_ a tattoo. If it was, the girl did a pretty damn good job of covering it. Matt knew hiding that was a full-time job. The Child of Friendship pulled out his phone to call an ambulance for the girl, but stopped when he suddenly smelled smoke billowing out of the alley.

"Okay, strange." Resting the girl against the lip of the alley, Matt proceeded down the dark corridor, the smell of smoke growing stronger and smoke itself thickening the farther he advanced. A fire came into view, with people congregating around it. Most of them were kids. But when he arrived at the site, Matt gasped in horror, unable to move. Now he knew how the girl ended up unconscious.

Matt's eyes widened as he realized the bonfire was being used for a suicide ritual, some of the participants inhaling as much smoke as they could before passing out and others outright jumping into the fire. A group of attendees were already lying on the pavement, dark and crispy.

"What the fuck?" Finding his legs, Matt stepped back to flee and call both an ambulance and the police, but bumped into a body behind him.

"Matt, you're just in time."

"Sora?" He turned to see the Child of Love standing behind him, a dazed look in her empty eyes. The blond took a closer look at her to notice the same tiki torch-shaped mark on her neck. "What are you doing here? And what's with the freaky tattoo? You know you can't wear that to school. How long have you been hiding it?"

"What do you mean, Matt?" The redhead cocked her head. "What am I hiding?"

Matt shook his head, certain Sora was too far gone to notice the mark even if she were looking in a mirror. "Never mind. We need to get to school, and I can help hide your tat." The blond reached for his ally's hand, but she pulled away.

"I'm not going to school today or ever again." Sora stepped around Matt toward the fire. "I'm going to a place with no pain, no stress, no sadness, only joy and freedom. Some of them already made it there, and I'm sure they're enjoying themselves. I want you to join me, Matt!" Sora gripped the Child of Friendship's hands. "You don't have to feel pain, grieve, or stress anymore; you'll be free! We'll be together." Sora whispered the last part.

Matt knew what Sora meant, and he didn't want any part of that. He wanted to live to see old age, and knew Sora didn't mean one word of what she said. She was under some sort of spell just like the other participants around the fire. One of the creatures was probably in the alley, possibly the same one that had persuaded Tai and Izzy to make a deadly jump. He didn't know where it was hiding, but even if he _did_ find it, he wouldn't be able to fight without Gabumon. Sora didn't have Biyomon by her side, either, which was only another reason for Matt to rush Sora out of there and to the nearest hospital. And from the way Sora was acting, he would have to carry her. But just as Matt picked her up bridal style, their surroundings wavered and shifted into a Polynesian atmosphere. Several palm trees, tents, and totem poles decorated the new, foreign world. The pavement below them softened to dirt, the morning sky fading into dusk. No moon shone overhead; the only lights came from the bonfire, which was now a human-sized grinning flame resembling a DemiMeramon, and a massive flaming totem pole standing over him. Innocents still flocked toward the pole and the wickedly-smiling flame...only to come out well-done in the process.

"What the...?" Matt surveyed his new surroundings. "Where the hell are we?"

He didn't have time to look too long, however, as the totem pole spit a series of fireballs at him, causing him to drop Sora, who quickly recovered and approached the infernal creature. Matt regained his footing to try to stop her, but was soon stopped by the fireballs that now matured into more cackling hotheads. The Child of Friendship tried to fight his way through, but the heat overwhelmed him and was rising by the second. Moreover, the anthropomorphic flames seemed to be growing to the point where the situation morphed into a deadly sauna. Matt's body temperature climbed by the second, and his vision blurred. He could still make out Sora standing three people away from the flaming totem pole, eerily ready as ever for a date with a fiery death. The last thing Matt saw was a hooded figure before he blacked out.

Matt slowly opened his eyes to a faint beeping sound. As he started to come to, a white, spotless ceiling greeted him, even though it was blurry at first.

"He's coming around," a male voice was heard.

"Dad?" the blond mumbled.

"Mr. Ishida, can you hear me?" the voice asked.

That didn't sound like his father, nor did it feel like he was still in the alley...unless he was in another alley, one with a white ceiling and a soft, clean bed. Matt blinked once, twice, three times before opening his eyes completely to find himself face-to-face with a middle-aged man with graying hair and pale skin. His blue eyes were a mix of seriousness and concern.

"You're awake, Mr. Ishida," the man said. "Your friends rushed you here just in time. Your father's been notified and is here, too."

Matt surveyed his white surroundings. A heart rate monitor was tethered to the blond, meaning the blond himself was lying in a hospital bed. The concerned man before him was obviously the doctor who had overseen him while he was out. From those details, Matt realized he was hospitalized. The grinning fireballs must have caused more damage than he thought.

Speaking of grinning fireballs, what happened to them and that blazing totem pole creature? What happened to that hooded figure, who seemed to have fit Cody's description in Matt's dream? Was that figure really Cody, whom T.K. said died? Matt shook his head at that, knowing that was by no means possible from what T.K. had told everyone. It was probably another person wearing the same attire and wielded the same staff. It couldn't be Cody. But where did he or she come from? Was the figure one of those girls in cosplay? And most of all, what happened to Sora? Had she succeeded? Did he have to attend another funeral?

"Sora." The Child of Friendship tried to sit up, but the doctor pushed him back down.

"You've just woken up, Mr. Ishida. Or shall I say, Yamato, since your father is here," he insisted. "You need to regain your bearings first. Your friend is fine, too. She also passed out and is resting in another room. Two boys named Tai and Izzy found you two in the alley. They're your friends, aren't they?" The doctor smiled casually.

Matt nodded, then sighed in relief. Sora was safe, which was all that mattered to him at the moment."Your body overheated in the alley," the doctor explained. "You've also inhaled some smoke, but not enough for it to be fatal. We were able to expel the smoke and cool your body down to a normal temperature. In fact, your body started to cool down on the way here, so you should consider yourself lucky." Then he added, "What were you doing in an alley when you should have been on your way to school? And near a bonfire at that?"

"I found a girl who was out of it, then I smelled smoke and found Sora and other people attempting suicide by jumping in a bonfire," Matt responded, leaving out the part with the fireballs and the totem pole. No need for the doctor to hear that and then commit the blond to a psych ward. The blond then added, upon remembering the girl he found. "Is that girl okay?"

"She will be fine, along with some of the others who haven't succeeded, but why didn't you call an ambulance when you found her?"

"Again, I smelled the smoke, found my friend and the others, and passed out from the smoke and heat," the Child of Friendship repeated.

The doctor nodded in response. "Well, you're still fortunate. Anyway, your father and friends are out in the waiting room. Would you like for them to come in?"

"Sure." Matt smiled. "I need to talk to them."

The doctor left the room, leaving the blond alone to gawk at the spotless, pristine machinery. Matt stared out of the window overlooking Odaiba for a few moments until Tai, Izzy, Hiroaki, T.K., and Nancy entered, all with relieved looks on their faces except T.K., who had an oddly blank expression.

"The doctor said you were awake, son," said Hiroaki, pulling up a chair next to Matt. "How are you feeling?"

"Better," replied the Child of Friendship. "He said I was lucky and that Tai and Izzy called the ambulance just in time."

"You scared the shit out of us, Matt," said Tai. "What the hell were you and Sora doing in an alley? And near a bonfire at that?"

"It could have been much worse, Matt," Nancy added. "So yes, you should count your blessings. What were you two thinking?"

"Yeah," Tai agreed. "All we saw were a snuffed out bonfire, crispy people, and unconscious kids. The kids are now being treated. So yeah, you all are lucky we were passing by and called the ambulance."

Matt explained everything he had encountered in that alley, from the girl at its edge to the hooded figure.

"Sora? Trying to kill herself?" Nancy repeated in disbelief. "But she would never..."

"You said Sora had a tattoo on her neck?" Tai interjected. "Was it the same one Agumon said Izzy and I had on ours?"

"What did yours look like?" the blond asked.

"Tentomon said it was shaped like a heart," Izzy answered.

"Sora's was shaped like a tiki torch," Matt put in.

"Something is definitely going on," said Hiroaki.

"Do you think it's a Digimon?" Nancy wondered.

"We don't know that yet," Izzy responded. "We're still trying to get to the bottom of that."

"But it _has_ to be a Digimon," Hiroaki jumped in. "What else can it be?"

"It might be," Tai said. "One that plants thoughts in a victim's mind. Suicidal ones so far."

"Again we don't know yet," Izzy repeated. "But we _do_ have a little more info to go on. The marks on the victims' necks and the worlds they're pulled into."

"What Digimon pulls its targets into a different dimension?" Matt asked. "And leaves marks on them?"

"I'll ask Gennai," Izzy decided.

"Right after you go to school, boys," Nancy interjected, shifting into parenting mode. "I'll take you three." She then regarded her elder son."You won't be going anywhere until the doctors check you out one last time for anything they overlooked, so you rest for the day. They _did_ say you'll be able to go back to school tomorrow, so you really need your rest. The doctors will be keeping an eye on you so won't get any ideas on escaping. I'll visit you later." With that, Nancy herded Tai, Izzy, and T.K. out, leaving only Hiroaki and Matt. Neither knew what to say, still stunned from Nancy's speech.

"I'm glad it's nothing serious and I'll be fine," the blond finally spoke after what felt like a millennium of silence. "I just hate being useless, especially right now."

"I know." Hiroaki ruffled his son's hair. "You'll be out of here, don't worry."

The potential father-son bonding was cut short by a knock on the door.

"Come in," Matt responded.

The doctor entered the room followed by two police officers, one of them a plump, red-headed woman wielding a notepad.

"Mr. Ishida, we would like to ask a few questions," the woman said, then turned to Hiroaki. "Excuse us."

He stood up. "I'll visit you later, son." Escorted by the doctor, Hiroaki left the room."

"How are you feeling, Mr. Ishida?" the other officer – a thin, blond male – asked.

"I'm fine, sir," the Child of Friendship replied.

"That's good." The female officer smiled. Matt felt at ease at her kind, warm demeanor. Taking Hiroaki's vacated seat next to Matt, she continued, "Now, we would like to know what had happened in that alley."

"What all did you see?" the male added, a gruff, blunt edge to his tone. Matt cringed upon eye contact; the officer looked like he hadn't even been hugged in his life, let alone had any friends.

"Well, I found a girl near the alley with a strange tattoo," Matt began.

"What did it look like?" The woman was jotting down Matt's previous response. "The tattoo."

"A tiki torch," the older Ishida replied, then continued. "I smelled smoke and followed it down the alley, where at the end I saw a bonfire with people throwing themselves in it. Some were already dead. Sora was one of the people in line to jump in, and I tried to talk some sense into Sora, but she pulled me away. And when I did pull her away afterward, the smoke was starting to overwhelm me, and I passed out." Matt changed the ending of his encounter, of course leaving out details about the strange world he was sucked in along with the anthropomorphic fireballs and the massive flaming totem pole.

"You must be friends with Ms. Takenouchi," the woman guessed.

"Rest assured, she'll be fine in case the doctor hasn't told you," the man added.

"Did anything else happen in the alley before you blacked out?" the woman asked.

Matt remembered the totem pole, the fireballs, and the bizarre realm, but shook his head. "No, ma'am." Being stuck in a hospital bed for the rest of the day was bad enough; no need to be admitted to a psychiatric facility on top of that. He'd _really_ be useless then.

"Are you sure, Mr. Ishida?" the male asked, as if trying to pry the truth from the Child of Friendship.

"I'm sure," responded Matt, his fingers trembling under the male officer's disbelieving gaze.

"If you know anything more than what you're saying, you can tell us," the female officer put in. "We promise you whatever we're discussing right now will not leave this room."

"There's nothing else to tell," Matt said, then kicked himself when he realized how the words came out. Yeah, like he really needed to go to jail at at time like this. Taking a deep breath, he corrected his tone and reworded his response. "That was all I saw. If there were anything else that happened, it must have occurred while I was out."

"He has a point," the man agreed, his piercing gaze softening. "Well, if you see anything else or see anyone trying to kill themselves, don't hesitate to call us." He handed Matt a business card.

"Thank you for your time, Mr. Ishida." The female officer stood up and extended her hand, which the Child of Friendship shook.

"You'll be out of here soon, Mr. Ishida," the male assured him as he followed his partner out.

Matt breathed a sigh of relief, thankful the interview had been in no way, shape, or form stressful, but that didn't erase what he had seen and been caught up in. If the totem pole and the fireballs were Digimon, Gabumon and the others could handle them, but they had to find out what they were up against first. And Matt sure as hell couldn't do anything from a hospital bed. As much as he hated to admit it, he was useless right now. He could only hope Gennai would know what Digimon they were facing...if it _was_ a Digimon. Izzy would let everyone know once he asked Gennai.

Speaking of the Child of Knowledge, he still wanted to ask him and Tai about their suicide attempts and how they somehow survived. Disappearing and then reappearing unharmed sounded completely bizarre. Maybe they ended up in a world similar to the one Matt had been in, except for only a brief moment before landing safely. No matter how the blond looked at it, the situation didn't make sense, but neither had anything he had been through. Hell, _nothing_ in the Digital World had made sense the first time he and his friends had been summoned there. Considering all of that, Matt _should_ be used to things that made no sense.

"Mr. Ishida?" The doctor poked his head in the door.

"Come in," Matt responded, and the doctor entered.

"You should be ready to leave tomorrow," he announced. "We just want to run a few more tests and then have you rest for the remainder of the day. Nothing harmful, don't worry."

Matt flashed him a nervous grin, then sighed, gaze climbing to the pristine ceiling. His questions for Tai and Izzy would definitely have to wait.

…

"Hey, Matt, how're ya feeling?" Tai asked as he, Izzy, T.K., Nancy, and Hiroaki entered the room that evening.

"I'm fine, guys," the Child of Friendship assured them, sitting up. The doctors had given him the green light to move around. "Not going anywhere until tomorrow, but I'm good and healthy. They ran some X-rays and tests to make sure nothing else was going on from the smoke inhalation, and my lungs were shown as clear."

Nancy breathed a sigh of relief. "I'm glad, honey."

"How did it go with the police?" Hiroaki inquired.

"I was surprised. They weren't overbearing or forceful," said Matt. "They were respectful and allowed me to tell my side. The guy scared me a little at first; he looked like he didn't believe my story, but he wasn't as bad as he seemed when I stood firm with my side. And of course I didn't tell them about the strange dimension or the totem pole or anything like that."

His father nodded. "You don't need to be in a psych ward on top of all of this."

"And neither does Sora," added the older blond.

"We just visited Sora, so she hasn't been committed," Tai assured his best friend. "Apparently, she rehearsed her story to the cops. She's sleeping now."

Matt sighed in relief, then regarded Izzy.

"Did you get a chance to ask Gennai?" the Child of Friendship asked.

Izzy shook his head. "Not yet, but I _will_ email him tonight when I get home. We just came here from school."

"And we could hardly focus today because we were worried about you and what Agumon and Tentomon said we went through," added Tai.

"What did they tell you?" Matt asked, remembering what he had seen on the news that morning. "What the hell were you guys doing on the roof of Highton View Terrace? I saw it on the news this morning."

"They said we were saying stuff about going together to a place with no pain, no suffering, only freedom," said Tai.

"And we know what that means," Izzy put in.

"We would never want to do that," the Child of Courage said.

"I know," Matt concurred.

"I thought it was just a dream, though," the bushy-haired teen continued. "I mean, the last thing I remember was falling asleep at home, then I was suddenly on the roof of our old place with Izzy."

"Me too," the Child of Knowledge agreed. "And it just felt so real. Being on the roof, jumping...and that was it. Everything else went black. Then when I woke up, I was back in my room."

"Same here." Tai regarded Matt. "Now we know why it felt so real."

"And Agumon and Tentomon said what we went through was real," Izzy put in. "On top of that, a hooded person saved us just before we hit the concrete."

"Maybe that explains your vanishing and reappearing," Matt realized.

"Interesting." The Child of Knowledge pondered the situation for a second. "I wonder who that was? He obviously isn't DigiDestined."

"He must be like those girls in cosplay Gennai mentioned," Tai guessed. "Or she."

"Speaking of people in cosplay, Tentomon said something about T.K. also being one of them, and that they were all in a weird dimension with a garbage barge-train boiler monster." Izzy regarded T.K., who had been silent the entire time.

"Mind telling us about that, T.K.?" Tai asked, but the Child of Hope only stared at the bushy-haired teen.

"T.K., do you know anything about all of this?" Matt chimed in. "The girls in cosplay? The strange worlds? The marks? The creatures? Anything?"

The younger blond shook his head, slowly stepping back.

"You haven't spoken all day," Izzy pointed out. "You must be hiding something, even more so if Agumon and Tentomon saw you at the scene. If there's anything you know, tell us."

T.K. glanced down at his shoes, seemingly nervous.

"T.K.'s probably having one of quiet days," Nancy guessed. "We all have those. I think we should leave him alone until he's ready to talk to us. Right, T.K.?"

T.K. rushed out of the door in response, further confusing everyone in the room.

"T.K., wait! What's wrong?" Nancy hurried after her younger son, but not before apologizing to everyone. "He's been like this all day. I don't know why."

"What's with him?" Hiroaki wondered once she left.

Matt shook his head. "I have no idea."

"Something's up," Tai said.

"He's got to know something," Izzy added. "From what Agumon and Tentomon told Tai and me, T.K. is somehow involved in all of this, and we need his help to get to the bottom of it."

"Especially when we've all been hit by these disturbances or at least involved," the Child of Courage put in.

"But like Nancy said, it's best that you leave T.K. alone until he's ready to talk," Hiroaki suggested.

"How long do you expect us to wait?" Izzy asked, tone slightly combative. "We need to stop these disturbances before they destroy Odaiba and kill us! If Gennai doesn't know what we're up against, T.K. might! We need him to help us! I researched the disturbances, and all I kept getting were articles on the suicides! Nothing on weird marks, girls in cosplay, or strange worlds! All we have are what Gennai told us and now what Agumon and Tentomon told us!"

"Easy." Tai placed a hand on the Child of Knowledge's shoulder.

Izzy calmed down. "Sorry, Mr. Ishida."

Hiroaki waved him off. "It's okay. I understand how it feels to be under stress. But all I'm saying is give T.K. time. Maybe there's a reason why he doesn't want to tell you anything."

"I guess so." Izzy looked down, feeling a little discouraged.

"Look on the bright side," Tai assured him. "We have the info Agumon and Tentomon gave us. We're one step closer to finding out what we're facing, and if T.K. wants to tell us everything at some point, he will."

"Even so, I want to talk to him myself first," said Matt. "He's my brother. I'm sure he'll talk to me, but that's obviously not going to happen at least until I get discharged tomorrow."

"You're right, Matt," Tai agreed. "All we did was harass him today, and look what happened. Yeah, it's best that you talk to him first... _alone_." The DigiDestined leader placed emphasis on the last word.

Hiroaki glanced at his watch. "For now, we need to get you boys home. I'm sure you have homework to do."

Tai sighed. "Okay." Regarding Matt, he said, "We'll see you later, Matt." He and Izzy filed out of the room, followed by Hiroaki, who briefly stopped to nod and smile at his older son.

When they were gone, Matt sunk into his pillow, wondering how he would start his conversation with T.K. His brother was probably involved in everything that was going on, even more so when the Child of Hope had been nothing but silent the entire visit. Matt wanted to think his brother was having one of his quiet days, but now that he was thinking about everything more carefully, the Child of Friendship wondered if T.K. really _was_ hiding something from them. And who was that hooded figure that had appeared before Matt had blacked out? Was he or she the one who saved Sora? That would just be two more questions Matt would ask T.K. when the older blond was discharged.

Matt couldn't do anything now, however, as he stared up at the ceiling. He still hated feeling useless; he wanted to help his friends so badly, being stuck here was beginning to drive him crazy. The older blond sighed. Only one night. He could do it.

Matt suddenly noticed something move in the corner of his eyes outside of his window. The Child of Friendship directed his attention to the window to see what looked like the end of a white tail or cloth.

"What was that?" he wondered as he got up to check the window and crane his head for a better look, but saw nothing. "Must've been a flock of birds." Climbing back into bed, Matt added, "Or a side effect of those x-rays or some meds the doctor might have pumped in me." The Child of Friendship sighed, falling back on his pillow. "Gonna sleep some more."


	6. Chapter 6

**Happy early Thanksgiving, folks! I'm truly thankful for those who have read, favorited, followed, reviewed, or did all four! I truly appreciate the feedback and hope you all enjoy this chapter! I wanted to get it up before Thanksgiving came tomorrow.**

 **I do NOT own Madoka or Digimon!**

 **Chapter 6**

Kyubey watched a slumbering Yamato through the hospital window, knowing it was only a matter of time until Takeru's friends found out the truth. And he couldn't help but wonder what Takeru would do in that situation. "I knew Takeru would not be able to keep magical people and witches a secret for long. His friends are on to him and will soon find out what he's hiding. Who knows? He may need all of the help he can get to 'eradicate all beings of darkness,' which is impossible. But he will figure that out for himself."

"I'm concerned for him..." a wise-sounding male voice said, "especially after the last witch he and I fought."

Kyubey turned to see a hooded figure behind him, face hidden and perched on a nearby incomplete staircase. It also watched the sleeping Matt.

"Maybe T.K. _does_ need help," the figure continued. "Not to destroy all forces of darkness because, like you said, that isn't possible. He needs someone to keep his rage in check. I seriously thought the fight with MaloMyotismon would be the last time I would see that side of T.K. Now I'm scared for him, Kyubey."

"That was why you rejected his assistance in the labyrinth," the catlike creature realized.

"Yes, but I _do_ understand T.K. was trying to protect me the same way he avenged Ken, Yolei, Davis, Kari, and our Digimon," responded the hooded figure, hugging itself out of fear. "I know the story behind it, which was Angemon's sacrifice to stop Devimon on their first trip in the Digital World. He doesn't want anyone else dying at the hands of evil beings like Devimon again."

"But they fell, anyway," said Kyubey. "And it was not to this Devimon you are speaking of."

"I know, and we need to get T.K. to understand that he can't save everyone, nor can he entirely destroy the powers of darkness. I definitely think getting Matt, Sora, Tai, and Izzy involved is a wise move. T.K. is so prone to bloodlust that he might lose focus and even pay for it."

"Even though Takeru insists that he doesn't need assistance?"

"I don't care what he says, even more so since Agumon and Tentomon know and were actually caught in that garbage can labyrinth," the hooded figure responded, finality in its voice. "We've been through worse and weirder things together, so this is no different. Except it's not Digimon we're facing, and that's just another reason for everyone to be involved."

Kyubey studied the hooded figure with its beady red gaze. "Your wisdom never ceases to amaze me, Iori Hida. It is no wonder you possessed the potential for magic."

The hooded figure removed his hood to reveal a pale, olive green-eyed boy with a bowl-shaped haircut. His stern expression exuded wisdom.

"And I'm glad I _did_ make that contract before MaloMyotismon's deadly attack and used my projection right away. I'm still a little...frustrated it didn't work on Armadillomon." Iori fought back tears at the last part. "But I know he's getting reconfigured. He'll be back, but in the meantime, I'm fighting in his place, and it starts with keeping T.K. in check."

"Do not worry, Iori," Kyubey assured him, gaze back on Yamato. "It will not be long until you get your reinforcements."

…

T.K. yawned as he sluggishly climbed out of bed. He glanced at his porch to see that it was already night. Moonlight shone through his glass doors, lighting up his room.

"I must've been more tired than I thought," the Child of Hope realized. "I feel much better now and ready to take on anything." He headed to his bathroom to shower and get dressed for what was left of the day. He was still stinking from the witch battles the previous night and knew he was definitely trashing those sheets. Not only would they be nearly impossible to clean at that point, they would most likely stink up the apartment.

After he finished in the bathroom, T.K. headed into the kitchen for a trash bag to discard the soiled bedsheets. A click of the lock soon stopped his action, causing the blond to rush back to his room and hide. His mother and clone were home, and T.K. did not want his mother to walk in on him now; otherwise, there would be a lot of explaining to do. Explaining he would rather not go through right now.

The Child of Hope ducked into the bathroom and kept quiet so as not to attract his mother's attention. He heard a sudden click of his door knob, which decreased some of his anxiety a little. T.K. knew his mother would never come into his room unannounced. The blond craned his head outside to see his clone had stepped into the room, confused and glancing around. The blond let out a breath of relief.

"Hey," T.K. greeted, stepping out to meet his projection. "How'd it go today?"

The clone's expression turned grim, which was not a good sign.

"What happened?"

The projection grabbed a piece of scrap paper and a pen from the Child of Hope's desk and scribbled _Matt's in the hospital because of a witch attack. They don't_ know _it was a witch, but they're on to us._

"What?" T.K. blurted out, then remembered to keep his voice down on account of his mother possibly home as well. "Is Matt okay?"

 _Yes_ , the clone wrote, _and they're on to us. They know something's up, so be prepared for questions, especially from Matt when he gets discharged tomorrow._

T.K.'s chest tightened upon reading his clone's notes, as the blond wondered what he was going to do. He knew Agumon and Tentomon would spill everything they had experienced to the others, but T.K. didn't think what little info the two Digimon had would be enough to lead his friends to him. He couldn't get them involved; he would think of a story to tell Matt and the others. As the Child of Hope had said to Kyubey, he doubted his friends would believe witches kissed the suicide victims. They would probably ridicule him for thinking that and believe he was referring to the stereotypical, green-skinned crones. And Azulongmon knew that T.K. was not facing _those_ witches.

"T.K., are you in there?" His mother's voice was heard followed by a knock.

"You need to go," the blond hissed as he absorbed his projection into his Soul Gem. "Yeah, Mom!" he responded and answered the door to face Nancy, whose expression emitted disappointment and displeasure. T.K. didn't like that face. He liked it even less when he didn't know what the clone did to upset her.

"We need to talk, T.K.," she said simply. "In the kitchen. Now."

"Oh boy," T.K. muttered under his breath. What happened that upset his mother?

* * *

T.K. and Nancy sat down across from each other in the kitchen area, meeting each other's eyes. Nancy's were a storm cloud of slight anger, which didn't sit well with T.K. and made him wonder even more what had happened in the hospital.

"Why did you bolt like that when everyone asked if you knew something?" his mother finally asked.

So _that's_ what happened, T.K. realized. Probably wouldn't have been the best move by my clone, but why is Mom so irate about that?

"Do you know something, T.K.?" Nancy pressed on.

"About what?"

"The creatures Izzy, Tai, and Matt were talking about in the hospital, and when they asked you, you ran. Which means you _do_ know something but don't want to tell them. Or your dad and me. You've been quiet all day." Nancy's hard expression pierced into her younger son's, awaiting a response.

"Look, I'm sorry, Mom," T.K. finally said. "I was...so stressed out seeing Matt hurt that I was confused. I was more concerned about my brother than what those creatures are. It was just too much happening for me all at the same time." The younger blond shook his head, upset and anxious. "Besides, I don't know anything about those creatures. And about my not talking today, I was just having one of my quiet days and didn't feel like talking. I'm still mourning over Kari, Cody, Yolei, Ken, and Davis."

Nancy's expression softened upon listening to her younger son. "I see." She placed a hand over T.K.'s. "I miss your friends, too, honey. I know everyone else is in mourning, as well. You were thinking about Kari, weren't you?"

"And everyone else, too. I mean, Davis and I had our fights like Matt and Tai, but we became best friends because of that. It feels like yesterday that I forgave Ken, but now that he's not coming back, we'll never be able to get to know him better. Yolei and Cody were our neighbors, with Yolei acting like the big sister and all. Cody was my DNA partner and he had just understood why I get angry when it comes to darkness. And then there's Kari, my childhood friend." T.K.'s cheeks burned at the mention of the Child of Light. "I'll never tell her how I feel." Tears burned in his eyes and ran down his face. "I wish they were here so we could figure everything out together."

"I know, T.K." Nancy went over to grip her son's shoulders. "I know. It hurts. It hurts me, but none of them would want any of us to cling to the past. Yes, we will always remember them, but they would want us to move on and do everything in our power to prevent more deaths. Which is why we need all of the information we can get on those creatures."

"Again, I wish I could help," T.K. repeated, wiping tears from his eyes. "I'm just as at a loss as you guys."

"Are you sure, T.K.?" Nancy questioned. "Tai and Izzy said Agumon and Tentomon saw you out there dressed in cosplay."

The Child of Hope cursed silently. He knew that was coming up. He tried to think of a response to that. He had to; otherwise, his friends would be at risk, and he did _not_ want to go to another funeral.

"I'm sure," the younger blond lied. "That person Agumon and Tentomon saw last night was probably a doppelganger created by one of the creatures. Or a Digimon."

Nancy raised an eyebrow again. "A doppelganger, huh? Come to think of it, you _have_ been home helping me out last night, so it had to have been a creature disguised as you. We all have seen weirder stuff like Digimon, so I shouldn't have been surprised something like that happened."

"Yep, we _date_ weird, Mom," T.K. agreed.

"Almost on a daily basis, it seems." Nancy let out a small laugh. "Anyway, I'm sorry I got upset with you about all of this. I should've known you weren't involved in last night's event and I didn't realize you were that stressed out."

"It's okay, Mom. And don't worry, my friends and I are still figuring stuff out about the creatures. Izzy, especially, is probably going to be pulling an all-nighter."

"Your father does those himself." Nancy couldn't help but giggle at that. "But I know Izzy is doing it to keep this world safe."

"And don't be surprised if I start pulling all-nighters, too, Mom," T.K. added. Considering last night's witch hunt that dragged into this morning.

"You know I would understand, T.K." Nancy stared at her son with a smile.

Suddenly, T.K. noticed his Soul Gem sticking out of his pocket, emitting its golden glow along with a faint hint of black. His clone _had_ been out all day, after all. Regarding his mother, he asked, "You want some pizza tonight, Mom? I'll go and get it."

His mother nodded. "Sure, thanks, T.K. You know how much I love mushrooms, so make sure at least half of a pizza has mushrooms. And you just like extra cheese, Plain Jane."

"Hey, I don't like a lot on pizza, okay?" T.K. countered playfully. "I'll go ahead and call it in for take out."

"Okay, dear. I need a cat nap, so if I'm not awake by the time you come back, just wake me up." Nancy headed for her room next to her office, yawning along the way.

When T.K. was certain she was out of earshot, he let out a relieved breath. He barely dodged a bullet there, having thought Nancy would see through and dismantle his lie. His friends and family now knew too much and he didn't know how long his lies would tip them off. He had really screwed up upon being seen by Agumon and Tentomon the previous night, but it was either his secret or his friends, who had been saved by that hooded figure. The figure had taken his thanks but pulled away from him after the witch fight. T.K. still wondered who he or she was.

But of course, it had to wait until he grabbed pizza for himself and his mother, which he'd do after he hunted down a witch or two.

...

"I knew T.K. needed help," Cody said, peeking through the peephole of the Takaishis' apartment. He had been listening in on the conversation between T.K. and his mother, specifically the confession his DNA digivolution partner had made about needing help. He hadn't had any trouble following them without being seen, having made sure to cloak himself with his magic to avoid detection. He knew T.K. needed help, and hearing it from the blond himself clinched that suspicion. The Child of Reliable Knowledge would make sure T.K. received the help he needed...whether the Child of Hope accepted it or not.

…

"How are you feeling, son?" Hiroaki asked.

"I'm fine, Dad," Matt replied, leaning against the passenger's window. He and his father were on their way home from the hospital on an overcast Saturday morning. The doctors had decided that it was best for Matt to wait until Monday to return to school to make sure the blond was fully recovered. That meant Matt wasn't going anywhere, not even to see T.K., so his talking with his younger brother would have to wait until at least Monday. Unless, of course, T.K. himself came to visit him before then.

"You know I'll be staying with you this weekend, right?" Hiroaki asked.

"What? You think I'll sneak out?" Matt challenged.

"I didn't say that, Matt." Then his father sighed and said, "Yes, it is because of that. Well, your mother thinks you might get some ideas about sneaking out. And to be honest, me too, which is why it's best that you're watched for the weekend. We want to make sure you're well enough to go back to school on Monday."

Matt groaned at that, knowing that he would never sneak out and that he understood he needed to make sure he was at his best for Monday. But school would be the least of anyone's problems if the creatures were left unchecked. Matt would think his parents would understand that, especially when they were aware of occurrences beyond the norm, like Digimon. Then again, Matt had been injured by one of the creatures and his parents were only trying to make sure he was fully recovered before going back out there. They were well aware of what was going on, but they would much rather keep their on-the-mend son indoors to recover than to let him get involved in another attack and more than likely die this time. And _that_ the Child of Friendship _did_ understand. But the school part? Seriously?

Matt's musings were cut short when his father's car suddenly began to fishtail and weave from side to side.

"What the fuck?" Hiroaki swore as he tried to regain control of the car, constantly attempting to right the steering wheel, but to no avail.

"What's going on, Dad?" Matt shouted, then he watched as the world around the car began to waver and change.

"I don't know! We need to get out!" Matt's father took off his seat belt, followed by the blond himself, but it was too late. Both closed their eyes as the car prepared to make contact with the first obstacle in front of it. Time suddenly stopped for a moment around Matt as he knew that was how he was going to die. The older blond thought he would live to see old age before he perished. He never had the chance to get his band off the ground, at least not nationally. He wanted to help bring his family back together, and most of all, he wanted to tell Sora how he felt after all of this ended. Unfortunately, he'd never have the chance to do any of those things now; the creatures made sure of that, and as the car made impact, everything went silent.

* * *

Matt opened his eyes to see that the world surrounding them was now a candy-themed city with graham cracker buildings and gelatin-made roads. The sidewalks were made of cookies, and pink cotton candy formed clouds. The sky was amber with a lemon drop-like sun. Was Matt in Heaven, or was it some sort of twisted hell? Whichever one it was, Matt knew if that was how the afterlife was like, maybe...

Matt shook his head, refusing to think like that. Death was _not_ a good thing, no matter what the afterlife looked like. But if this _was_ the afterlife, why was he sore on one side of his body? And why was his father unconscious against the steering wheel? Matt regarded Hiroaki to see that his father was in worse shape than himself. Gashes marred his arms and face, with one decorating the entire left side of his cheek. If this was the afterlife, both should have healed.

"Something's not right here," Matt said. "Are we really dead?"

The Child of Friendship's musings were cut off by a force that caused Matt to stumble forward. Matt turned around to a massive syringe stuck to the gelatin street. He looked up to see a red-headed, freckled rag doll wielding a giant syringe identical to the one in the "ground." Its blue button eyes glanced down at the blond, and the doll's smile stretched across its face. Energy coming from the demented doll billowed from the totaled car's hood. Was that creature responsible for the accident?

Matt had no time to ponder that question, as the doll aimed its syringe at the Child of Friendship, ready for another attack on him and his father.

"I have a feeling this is not the afterlife. I don't think it's even Hell," said Matt. "We didn't cause enough trouble to land there. Granted, I fought with Tai a few times, but that was petty. It can't be enough for me to go to Hell. If this isn't Hell or Heaven, where are we?"

The doll slammed its weapon to the "ground," Matt rolling out of the way just in time but still receiving collateral damage. That clinched his decision right there. Fuck figuring out where they ended up; Matt had to get his father and himself out of there and get Gabumon. Unlike Matt, Hiroaki had no Digimon partner.

"Dad!" Matt rushed to the totaled car to try to rouse Hiroaki awake, but his father didn't stir. "We need to get out of here!" When his father still didn't wake up, Matt hauled him out, positioned him on his back, and proceeded to head back to the hospital.

However, Matt was once again met with a syringe that blocked their way. Unlike the last two, this one emitted an acidic substance that ate away at the "ground," creating a large gap between Matt and safety. No way could he jump over that, especially with his dad on his back. Otherwise, it would have spelled instant death for both of them.

"Damn, I wish Gabumon were able to visit me at the hospital, but with nearly everyone knowing what Digimon are now, I can understand why the doctors wouldn't have allowed it. Besides, he would have been treated like a pet." The older blond turned back around to face the doll, then gazed back at the syringe-made gap that blocked his progress. He didn't need another shot of medicine, especially from a nightmare nurse, nor could he risk leaping the newly-made chasm before him. Gabumon wasn't with him, and running was out of the question. Matt was cornered by a syringe, a gap, and their demented owner.

"There has to be something I can do." Matt punched the "ground" in frustration.

"There is, Yamato Ishida," a voice said, which sounded familiar. Matt remembered hearing that from his dream the night before last and the one from the previous night, where the same events occurred. Matt had ended up in the Odaiba wasteland, witnessed his friends' having been knocked out, was met by a catlike creature, and then hit by the dragon's purple flames. That same feline creature's voice rang through his ears. It couldn't be real. It just couldn't. He had just been part of a dream.

But when Matt turned around to see the white catlike creature, the Child of Friendship realized the voice was indeed real. The creature's beady red eyes looked up at the older blond.

"You were in my dream," Matt realized as he knelt down to the being's height. "Who are you?"

"I am Kyubey," the cat creature responded. "And you have the potential to stop that witch." It nodded to the demented nurse doll.

Matt raised an eyebrow at what Kyubey had just said, then looked up at the massive doll, which the feline creature had just described as a witch. "A witch? That's not a witch; it doesn't have green skin, a black dress and hat, or a broom it flies on. Plus, what do you mean 'I have the potential to stop it?' I don't have any powers. Gabumon does." And why did I just say that out loud?

"And who might this Gabumon be?" Kyubey asked. "Wait, is he one of those Digimon I have heard so much about?"

"And how do you know about Digimon? You clearly aren't one of those?"

"I am not, but I have heard about them, and while I believe that your Gabumon would be of assistance here, he is not present, meaning you must rely on your own powers to save yourself and the man on your back."

"My father," Matt clarified. "Again, I don't have any powers, Kyubey!"

"On the contrary, Yamato," the white feline creature rebutted. "You have the potential to use magic."

"What?" Matt was taken aback, not believing what Kyubey was saying.

"Yes, you have the potential to become a magical boy," Kyubey explained.

Matt suddenly heard the clang of metal on metal. He looked up to see the hooded figure. The exact same one he had seen in both the alley and his dream. The Child of Friendship studied the figure carefully, as it parried the doll's syringe strikes with its silver staff. Was it Cody? Matt wondered as he saw that the figure's attire fit Cody's description in his dream. Same silver staff, same white cloak with purple and gray trim along the edges. The only difference was that the figure wasn't showing its face, which didn't give Matt a clear answer as to whether that was Cody or not. But it couldn't have been Cody; he was dead. T.K. said he was. So if that wasn't Cody, who was it?

That was a question for another time, though, as the figure released a stream of silver light at the doll Kyubey called a witch, but was overpowered by the doll's injections and sent flying into a graham cracker building. Matt gasped, his eyes widening. He started rushing toward the downed being.

"You can save him, Yamato," Kyubey said. "You only have to make a contract with me to become a magical boy."

Matt raised an eyebrow at that, still not buying it.

"I understand it is difficult for you to take in," Kyubey continued. "However, you really _do_ possess the power."

Matt moved his gaze from the white feline to the hooded figure, who was still down and was at the mercy of the witch. The witch raised its syringe over the figure, ready to strike.

A sudden stream of golden light destroyed the syringe and knocked the doll back. Matt looked up to see T.K. leap from the downed building, firing another stream of light at the witch and causing it to fall backward to the "concrete." The Child of Friendship examined his brother more closely to study T.K.'s strange attire, which consisted of a tan and gold tunic, tan pants secured with a brown belt, fingerless gloves, and a box-like hat decorated with a brooch shaped into the Crest of Hope along its right side.

"T.K.?" Matt wondered. "What is he wearing? Was this what Agumon and Tentomon were talking about?" The older blond remembered Tai and Izzy mentioning the two Rookies saying something about T.K. wearing cosplay and being in a strange world that hadn't looked like the Digital World. This was obviously one of the odd realms, ruling out Matt's earlier afterlife theory. Besides, Matt didn't think T.K.'s costume looked like any form of Heaven or Hell attire. To top it all off, T.K. could fight without Patamon, considering how he was faring against the demented ragdoll. His brother was definitely involved in all of this. He may not have been responsible for the suicides, but his involvement in everything they've discussed was unmistakable. That explained why T.K. had fled when he was asked the previous evening. It all made complete sense now. But that didn't mean Matt had the ability to use magic, too. Did it?

Matt still didn't believe the nonsense Kyubey shoveled on him. Magical people? Witches? Contracts? From how Kyubey used the word "contract," it sounded like a deal with the devil. Those were never sweet ones, so how could Matt trust one feline creature's deals? It sounded a little too good to be true, not to mention shady. What if by making a contract to save his brother, he would put himself in danger? Matt pondered every possibility that could result from Kyubey's contract, knowing he had to think it over carefully and weigh benefits against risks.

However, he didn't have too much time to think things over, as the witch recovered and smacked T.K. down. The Child of Friendship now knew he only had one choice as to how he and everyone else were going to escape alive. And it sat right next to him, emotionlessly witnessing the hell unfolding. He could grill his brother when they got out of the mess surrounding them. _If_ they got out of it. Matt may still be wary of what Kyubey was saying, but considering that Gabumon wasn't with him, the Child of Friendship would take advantage of any possible opportunity to save himself and his friends, regardless of risks. His brother's life was more important, and if there were risks involved in making a contract, the older blond would deal with them later.

"You said I had the power to help, right?" Matt asked Kyubey and motioned to his downed brother and the hooded figure, both of whom close to meeting the business end of the witch's injection.

"That is correct, Yamato," Kyubey responded."All you have to do is make a contract with me. I see you know Takeru."

"He's my brother, and if my contract with you works, I can save him?"

"Yes. Your contract _will_ work," the feline being assured him.

"Then I'll give it a try," Matt decided. "Just tell me how to make this contract and what I have to do."

"When you make a contract with me, you receive one wish," Kyubey explained. "It may be for anything you desire, Yamato."

"Then I know my wish, Kyubey," Matt said without preamble. "I wish to protect my friends. I won't allow anymore of my friends to die."

"Are you certain that is your wish, Yamato?" The feline creature sought for confimation in the Child of Friendship's words.

"Yes, Kyubey, I am!" The second the final syllable left Matt's lips, pain seared through his chest, as if splitting it in two. The teen blacked out for a brief moment, but woke up to find himself still standing as if he'd been sleepwalking for a few seconds. The Child of Friendship then noticed a blue raindrop-like orb hovering before him, brimming with energy like his Crest. Matt grabbed the sapphire droplet, and when he opened his hand, the orb became a blue oval-shaped charm..

"That is your Soul Gem," Kyubey pointed at the piece of jewelry in Matt's palm. "You have made the contract."

Matt faced the witch, knowing he had to save his brother and father and get them out of the saccharine nightmare surrounding them. The older blond could protect them now. Now he just needed to see how well he could without Gabumon. Setting Hiroaki on the ground, Matt cluched his Soul Gem, causing wisps of blue light to consume him. The older blond was filled to the brim with strength he never knew he had. His street clothes were blown away and replaced with a pair of ripped jeans with a skull, a buckle covering his chest, fingerless gloves, and spiked brass knuckles. His Soul Gem appeared on the skull's forehead, and his blond hair extended to his shoulders. When the blue light subsided, Matt took a double take at himself to realize he was exactly the same as he had been in his dream. His attire was just like WereGarurumon's.

So this was what I was in my dream, Matt thought. A magical boy. So that meant my friends and Cody were magical, too. And the dragon was a witch.

But the witch looming before Matt and threatening to give him a lethal injection wasn't that dragon. Pondering his dream could wait; right now he needed to take care of the monstrosity in front of him.

Just as the doll slammed its syringe into Matt, the blond rolled out of the way, perched on all fours like a wolf. Or rather, like WereGarurumon. Matt crouched on his haunches, then climbed the doll's syringe and, using his spiked knuckles, slashed the witch's face dead center, causing it to unravel into ribbons of cloth, wisps of thread, and clumps of stuffing. The doll fell backward again, losing its grip on the syringe.

It was far from finished with Matt, though, as it swatted blindly at the older blond, who dodged every attempt before delivering a kick to the doll's arms to clear a path for its chest. Assuming that was the weak spot, Matt brandished his knuckles and sliced through the witch's chest. The doll split into several sections before collapsing in a pile of fabric, stitches, thread, and stuffing, which rained around Matt. In one of the mountains of fluff, he spied a small black, kernel-shaped object. Picking it up, he inspected it.

"What's this?" he wondered as the confectionary surroundings returned to the familiar street he and his father had driven down before crashing. The totaled car was nearby, having met with a fire hydrant, which was now dry after its torrent of water soaked the pile of smashed metal.

"That is a Grief Seed." Kyubey hopped up to the Child of Friendship's side. "Magical girls and boys use them to purify their Soul Gems after they defeat a witch."

" _How_ do I use it?" Matt asked.

"Touch it to your Soul Gem," the catlike creature instructed. "I am quite certain it needs to be purified."

The Child of Friendship looked down at his Soul Gem that now held a hint of black smoke sullying the once-pristine sapphire within. From what Kyubey had just explained about purifying Gems, Matt was certain even _that_ little taint wasn't a good thing. Returning to normal, he touched the Grief Seed to his Soul Gem, where the slight taint moved into the Grief Seed and restored the bright azure shine in Matt's Gem within seconds. Matt then noticed a hint of a dark aura now stirring in the Seed, which worried Matt slightly. What if the Grief Seed revived that terrifying doll?

That was the least of Matt's worries right now, as he noticed his brother slowly recovering and the hooded figure healing a still-unconscious Hiroaki. He still didn't know who the figure was, but he decided this was the time to unmask him or her.

"Hey, thank you," said Matt, approaching the figure that now moved on to heal T.K. The mystery ally responded with a nod and didn't even spare a glance at the older blond. "Who are you?"

When it was done with the Child of Hope, the figure froze for a second. Without meeting Matt's confused gaze, it turned away.

"Your Grief Seed can be used a second time," said T.K., who made it to his feet and was now back in his civilian form. "Give it to him...or her. He or she needs it more than I do."

"It can be used more than once?" Matt asked.

"It depends on how much the Grief Seed absorbs the first time," Kyubey interjected.

"If it takes in too much, it can hatch into another witch," added T.K. "Yours looks like it has a few more uses out of it because you didn't use too much magic. Or maybe just one in this case since our friend needs it more. He or she has been healing Dad and me." T.K. nodded to the retreating figure.

"What about you, T.K.?" Matt regarded his brother.

"I have one more Grief Seed I can use," said the younger blond. He then nodded to the now-retreating figure. "He or she needs yours more."

Matt started after the figure, who was surrounded by silver light as it moved further away from the bedlam that had ensued.

"Hey, wait!" Matt called after the figure and offered the Grief Seed to it.

The figure stopped and turned slightly to regard Matt, who thought he saw a hint of an olive green eye through its hood. They stared at each other briefly before the figure accepted the offered Grief Seed and walked away. The figure vanished in a blaze of silver after a few seconds.

After that was done, Matt regarded T.K., who was lifting Hiroaki, albeit with a little difficulty due to the younger blond's sapped strength from the fight. Even though his wounds were healed, he wasn't back at full strength. The Child of Friendship rushed over to help T.K. lift their father, each draping an arm on their backs. The older blond delivered a glare to his brother, none too pleased at what he had been through and found out. Especially when it was exactly what he and the others had been left in the dark about.

"Look, Matt, I know you're probably angry with me, but..."

"I need to know what the hell's going on." The older blond cut T.K. off before the younger one could get another word in, possibly another lie, but Matt had enough of his little brother skipping around. "And this time, you're not leaving my place until you tell me everything. I want the truth, T.K., and you're going to tell me when we get to Dad's and my apartment."

"What about school?"

"Fuck school at this point, T.K.. Besides, we need to make sure Dad's okay and then call Mom and let her know what's going on. She might come over, too, and I can promise you she will _not_ be happy that you lied to us."


	7. Chapter 7

**Here's the next chapter. I spent a few extra weeks editing and making sure there were no errors, so that was what caused the delay. I'm proud of this story and always will be because Dark TK is the best and Toei didn't flesh him out more in the anime. I will not be spoiling where the scenes will be, though, so you'll have to stay tuned.**

 **I do NOT own Madoka or Digimon!**

 **Chapter 7**

"Matt, you're home!" Gabumon greeted, coming out of his partner's room when the boys and Hiroaki set foot in the Ishidas' apartment. "I was worried about you. Your dad told me what had happened to you, but I'm so glad you're okay!" The lizard-wolf Digimon's smile fell when he noticed Matt's pissed expression, T.K.'s guilty one, and their unconscious father. "What happened, Matt?"

"Ask T.K." The Child of Friendship nodded to his younger brother staring at the floor in guilt and shame. "He has a lot to talk about."

"After we take Dad to his room," the Child of Hope interjected.

The boys walked Hiroaki to his room and tucked him in his bed. Once their father was settled, Matt and T.K. returned to the front room and sat in the kitchen area. Gabumon followed suit, and Kyubey, who had been following the brothers and Hiroaki the entire way home, hopped onto the table.

"Okay, T.K., spill it!" Matt demanded. "What the hell's been going on? With you, these witches, these strange worlds, everything. Don't you dare leave anything out!"

T.K. sighed. "Okay, but you need to promise not to mention any of this to the others. They can't know." The Child of Hope held Matt's gaze firmly.

"I can't promise that, T.K.," said Matt. "They're our friends; we can't lie to them, only _you're_ testing the limits of trust more and more. I refuse to do that to them. They have to know."

"Matt, please." T.K. maintained his stance on the issue. "This is important. You've just become a magical boy. You don't fully know the dangers of fighting witches, nor can you understand everything about it after just one fight. Imagine the added hell of getting everyone else involved, Matt."

"But, T.K..."

The younger blond cut him off. "Matt, please understand. Promise me you won't tell them. Please."

Matt's shoulders sank, his expression softening a little. "I promise."

"Okay." T.K. took a deep breath, then began. "Remember those suicides Gennai was talking about?"

"Yeah, we were all there when he told us about it," replied Matt, slight impatience present within his tone.

"And the girls in cosplay Hogan saw in Australia?" The Child of Hope added.

Matt sighed. "Yes, T.K. Just get to it."

"I'm not beating around the bush, Matt; all of this is connected to what I'm getting ready to tell you. And what I'm going to tell you has everything to do with what happened not long ago."

"You mean the crazy doll and the candy land?"

T.K. nodded. "Only we stopped it before it could kill a victim."

"No, _I_ stopped it," Matt corrected.

The younger blonde rolled his eyes. "Whatever. The truth is, the suicides and disturbances that have been happening lately are all the works of witches and their labyrinths."

"Like that doll and the candy wonderland," Matt supplied.

"Yeah, that's right," said T.K.

"Why are they called witches?" Matt asked.

T.K. shrugged. "No idea. Kyubey said they were called witches. Familiars are their offspring."

"Definitely not the green-skinned type of witches." the Child of Friendship quipped. "And I bet their familiars aren't black cats."

"Nope," T.K. confirmed, shaking his head.

"So you're saying that the witches are causing the suicides?" Gabumon asked for clarification.

"That's exactly right, Gabumon," T.K. confirmed. "Witches kiss their victims and charm them into committing life-threatening acts, namely the suicides we've heard a lot about lately."

"So that means Tai, Izzy, and Sora were..." Matt trailed off.

"Kissed by witches," T.K. finished. "Luckily, I saved Tai and Izzy, so they're fine."

"I know, because they stopped by the hospital to check on me yesterday." Matt then remembered his own date with death. "Come to think of it, that also means that flaming totem pole that almost killed Sora and me was a witch, too, and that I was in its labyrinth."

"Speaking of Tai and Izzy, they were on the news yesterday morning trying to kill themselves on Highton View Terrace," said Matt. "So they were kissed by witches, huh?"

"Yes," responded T.K.. "I found out about it when I found Izzy walking toward Highton View Terrace to meet up with Tai. And that was after his first attempt at Fuji TV. Yeah, he tried twice, the second time being a suicide pact with Tai after Tentomon fumbled him from hunger."

"Twice?" Matt made sure he heard that correctly.

"I didn't stutter, Matt," T.K. confirmed.

"That's definitely not like Izzy...or Tai," said Gabumon.

"I know, but when a witch kisses you, you become a completely different person," the younger blond continued.

"All the more reason to worry in case this happens again," Matt said.

"I wouldn't; they're fine," T.K. assured them. "I saved Tai and Izzy, but as for Sora, I wasn't there, so I had no idea about that witch until my projection filled me in last night."

"Projection?" Gabumon repeated.

"I'll get to that in a few," the Child of Hope promised.

"Someone saved me, though," said Matt. "It was a guy or girl in a cloak. I didn't get a good look at him or her before I fainted from the heat and smoke. I'm guessing he or she is like those girls in cosplay Gennai was talking about. Or rather, magical girls. Just like you, apparently."

"That is correct, Yamato," Kyubey spoke for the first time since they returned home. "And you as well."

"Because I made the contract and my wish to protect my friends?" Matt said, even though it came out as a question.

"Precisely," Kyubey responded. "However, I do not know how you transformed into a magical boy with that attire. Normally, when you make a wish with me, your powers are based on that wish. You made a wish to protect your friends, so why..."

"Maybe it's because I have the Crest of Friendship," the older blond guessed. "And Gabumon digivolves into WereGarurumon through the Crest, which explains why I was dressed like WereGarurumon and have his speed and powers." Matt pulled out his Soul Gem to examine it. "This is crazy."

"I'm still taking it in myself," agreed Gabumon.

"Especially when I've been so used to just you fighting for five years," the older blond continued. "Now I can actively help you fight and protect everyone?" He fell back in his chair with a sigh. "This is still going to take a while for me to process."

The younger blond grinned. "At least you know the truth, Matt."

"Yeah," Matt responded uneasily. "Hey, T.K., if our powers are based on our wishes, then why doesn't your outfit resemble Angemon, MagnaAngemon, or Patamon? What's more, what are _your_ powers?"

"Takeru has two abilities from his wish. His magic doubles in strength when it makes contact with a witch or another being of darkness, and he can create astral clones of himself," Kyubey explained.

"My astral projection was at work in the hospital," added T.K. "He was at school with you guys and home helping Mom out, too."

"So that wasn't really you yesterday?" Matt asked.

"You know I would never flee when I'm cornered, Matt..." said T.K, "and as for why my outfit doesn't resemble my Digimon... I have no idea. It just came with my magic."

"What did you wish for?" Matt asked.

"I made a wish to..." T.K. trailed off, taking a deep breath. "You would be a little shocked if I told you. You'd probably lecture me."

"Try me, little brother," Matt challenged.

"My wish was to be able to stand up to the powers of darkness," responded the Child of Hope. "I wanted to be strong enough to take them on. That was how I defeated MaloMyotismon. Yeah, that was when I made my wish. I made it after I lost Patamon and the others."

"You defeated MaloMyotismon... _yourself_?" The older blond's eyes widened in a mix of amazement and disbelief.

"Yep." T.K. flashed Matt a foolish grin. "I still can't believe it myself."

"And without Patamon at that," added Matt. "Wow, so being a magical person..." He let out a low whistle. "This is unreal."

"I can't believe that, either," Gabumon agreed.

"I am aware that this is all difficult for you three to take in," said Kyubey.

"Fighting witches and not sitting on the sidelines, especially," said Matt. He then remembered another detail. "Speaking of witches, they give out Grief Seeds, right?"

T.K. nodded. "And we need those seeds to purify our Soul Gems. Of course, there are familiars born from witches that don't leave behind Grief Seeds. In that case, keep hunting for witches until you _do_ get a Grief Seed to purify your Gem and restore your magic."

Matt took another look at his Soul Gem, which was glowing sapphire with his newly-acquired magic. It's definitely going to take me a while to take in all of this, he thought. Sure, I didn't have a lot of time to get used to the existence of Digimon and my destiny as a Digidestined, but everything happened one right after another then. _This_ takes bizarre to a whole new level, but there's still one detail...

"Why the hell didn't you tell me all of this sooner?" Matt asked.

"Don't take this the wrong way, but I didn't want to get any of you involved," said T.K. "I didn't want to put you guys in danger because I didn't think you would understand what you would be getting into. Besides, I had the guy or girl in the cloak helping me. Then again, we don't know for sure if he or she's really our ally..."

"Nor do we know him or her," Matt cut in. "Sorry, T.K., but I don't think we can trust him or her. _I_ don't trust him or her. You should've trusted _us_ , especially _your own brother_."

"I thought I could handle it..." T.K. suddenly felt small across from his brother.

"Everybody needs a little help once in a while," Gabumon interjected. "You should've trusted us."

"Besides, T.K., you can tell me anything," Matt continued. "When you're in a little trouble or if there's a danger that involves all of us, you should at least tell me and we can try to figure it out. If the two of us can't, then we get everyone else involved."

T.K. sighed, unable to face Matt.

Matt resumed his lecture. "Yeah, I'm still mad at you because you should have told me this sooner and not worried or confused me or the others. I understand where your heart was and you wanted to keep us safe, but you should've remembered that we're all used to danger from the Digital World."

"But this is much more dangerous than the Digital World and Digimon combined," T.K. rebutted. "This is much worse than Apocalymon and Myotismon."

"Which is why I'm going back on my promise," Matt decided. "We need to tell the others."

"We can't!" T.K. jumped out of his chair, then calmed down and remembered their father was in his room. Lowering his voice, the Child of Hope continued. "We can't tell them; it's too dangerous and it's not like the Digimon we faced."

"The two of us may not be able to handle it for too long, either," the older blond said. "If there's one thing I've learned from the battles we've had in the Digital World, it's that there's always a powerful enemy out there. We need to see the bigger picture here and be prepared if we want to protect Odaiba."

"Yeah, T.K.," Gabumon agreed. "We need the others. And like Matt said, we don't know who that hooded magical person you two were talking about is."

"I agree with Yamato and..." Kyubey turned to the Digimon of Friendship.

"Gabumon," he filled in the blank.

T.K. sank in his chair.

Matt shrugged. "It's three against one, little brother. We tell them."

"It'll have to wait until Monday, unfortunately," T.K. said, his sullen demeanor growing into a grin. "You can't leave the apartment this weekend, remember? You _did_ say that, didn't you?"

"I wish I didn't." Matt remembered explaining that to the younger blond, gritting his teeth at the fact that he was just outwitted by his brother.

"And you know I'm not going to tell them myself," T.K. added.

"I'm well aware of that."

"Besides, I need to stay with you and Dad for the weekend, since Dad is still out cold and you of course can't go anywhere because you just got discharged this morning."

"Because Mom and Dad are all about my being in shape for school on Monday." Matt grunted. "Don't they know what's going on out there? You'd think school would be the least of their problems."

T.K. tried to decipher the meaning behind it. "I think they're just trying to keep you safe, Matt."

"But _school_?"

T.K. gripped his brother's hand. "Matt, I'm sure they understand and are behind us all the way, no matter what we ultimately decide to do."

"I guess you're right, little brother." The Child of Friendship smiled halfheartedly. "Thanks, T.K.."

T.K. responded with a smile of his own. "No problem, Matt. I'll always be there for you. We may disagree on whether or not we should tell the others, but you're still my brother and I love you." He went around the table to hug Matt, who returned the gesture. T.K.'s smile soon fell into an expression of regret. "I'm sorry for keeping this from you."

Matt held his little brother tight. "It's okay, T.K."

…

"Good morning," Hiroaki greeted as he entered the kitchen area, where his two sons and Gabumon had been conversing.

"It's evening, Dad," T.K. corrected with a grin.

"Evening?" Hiroaki glanced at the darkened window that cemented his younger son's quip. "So it is." Regarding the brothers, he asked, "How long was I out? What happened? The last thing I remember is losing control of the car."

"You've been out all day, Dad," said Matt. "You blacked out after hitting a fire hydrant."

"Really? How did I lose control?" Hiroaki rubbed the back of his head.

* * *

 _Don't look at me!_ T.K. held his hands up and slowly backed away when Matt and Gabumon darted their gazes to the younger blond.

 _Whoa!_ Matt thought upon feeling T.K.'s words bombard his head like a barrage of missiles.

 _Whoa yourself!_ The Child of Hope mentally retorted.

 _How are you doing that, T.K.?_

 _How are_ you _doing that, Matt?_

 _I see you two have just developed telepathy._ Kyubey's voice rang in Matt's head.

 _What?_ The Child of Friendship asked.

 _Telepathy is shared by all magical people -including potential ones - and myself,_ the feline creature explained. _Of course, normal humans cannot hear you two speak telepathically._

 _Okaaay_ , Matt drawled out. _Still weird, though. I don't think I'll get used to it. Creepy._

 _I hear you, Matt,_ agreed T.K. _Freaky._

 _Don't think you've avoided the issue, little brother,_ the Child of Friendship reminded.

 _What issue?_ the Child of Hope inquired.

 _You know what issue, T.K.. Don't play dumb. You_ are _going to tell Dad what happened, right?_

 _No, Matt,_ replied T.K. _He can't know._

 _Why not? And don't tell me it's just to keep him safe; that reason played itself out._

 _That_ is _the reason, Matt,_ the Child of Hope said. _We don't want him in any more danger._

 _Both he and Mom know about Digimon, so they know weird things exist. How is this any different? And besides, they're our parents._

T.K. froze for a second, then responded. _They can't see witches like us, Matt._

 _That's the difference?_

 _Yes._

 _That makes them sitting ducks, T.K.!_ Matt said. _How are they supposed to know when a witch will show up?_

T.K. fell silent for a long moment, eyes on the floor again.

 _There's no getting around it,_ the blond decided. _We tell Dad._

 _But..._

 _Either you tell him or I tell him._ The Child of Friendship left no room for arguments.

T.K. sighed, knowing he was defeated.

"Matt? T.K.?" Hiroaki snapped their attention back to him.

The two blonds glanced at each other one last time, then nodded.

"You were in an accident," T.K. said simply. That part wasn't a lie. "You were just shaken by the impact, causing you to black out and hit a fire hydrant." Another part that was the truth. "The hydrant..." T.K. was cut off by an elbow thrust from his brother.

 _Tell him, T.K.,_ Matt pressed, making sure his voice rang loud and clear in the younger blond's head.

 _I still don't think he needs to know,_ T.K. repeated.

"What the hell's going on with you two?" Hiroaki asked, running low on patience. "Come clean."

" _I'll_ explain, Dad," Matt began, but T.K. grabbed his arm.

 _Don't tell him!_ the Child of Hope pleaded. _Please, Matt!_

The older blond ignored him, regarding their father, but as Matt began his explanation, they heard a knock on the door.

Matt headed for the door to answer it and saw Nancy in the doorway.

"Mom." The older blond stepped aside to let his and T.K.'s mother in.

"Hi, Matt. I went home, but didn't see T.K. He's normally home by now. He's here, isn't he?" Nancy entered.

"He's here, Mom," Matt responded and led their mother to the kitchen area with the others.

"Mom!" T.K. jumped.

"Nancy!" Hiroaki was equally surprised.

"What are you doing here?" the younger blond asked.

"Looking for you, T.K.," responded Nancy. "You weren't home, nor were you at school."

"Dad and Matt got in an accident," the Child of Hope said.

Nancy gasped, hand to her mouth. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, Mom..." Matt answered, "...but Dad was out cold all day." He nodded to Hiroaki.

"What happened?" Nancy continued.

"I lost control of my car," Hiroaki said.

"Why aren't you in the hospital?" Nancy studied him closely. "How are you completely unharmed? How did you lose control?"

"The boys were just getting to all of that before you came." Hiroaki directed a scrutinizing gaze at Matt and T.K."There's something they're not telling us."

"Dad's fine, Mom." T.K. tried to smooth things out. "He's not hurt badly."

"I know and am glad he is, T.K., but how are he and Matt unscathed from the impact?" Nancy folded her arms.

"I'm beginning to think there's more to the story than just a car accident, and nobody's leaving until I get an explanation," Hiroaki said, finality in his tone.

"Tell them, T.K.," Matt said through gritted teeth.

"Yeah, T.K.," Gabumon agreed. "They're your parents. At least they have a right to know what's going on, especially when they already know about us Digimon."

"Yes, Gabumon, we would _love_ to know," said Nancy, glaring daggers at the younger blond. "I had a feeling T.K. was hiding something.

T.K. sighed, admitting defeat. "Okay...but you both may want to sit down because it's a long story.

* * *

"You boys are...magical boys?" Nancy asked once the brothers finished their story.

Matt and T.K. told their parents everything, from how T.K. became a magical boy to what had happened with the accident from the hospital. The boys made sure to include the hooded figure's appearance and Kyubey, concluding with Matt becoming a magical boy and finding out everything from T.K.

"Yep, that's right," Matt confirmed. "We make wishes and contracts with Kyubey in order to fight witches."

"Not the green-skinned type, right?" Hiroaki asked.

"No. Instead, they hide in these labyrinths that only reveal themselves when you cross their boundaries," T.K. explained.

"So that explains the accident this morning," their father realized, earning a nod from both boys.

"How will we be able to know whether or not a witch or a familiar is near us?" Nancy asked. "We can't just blame every mishap on a witch attack; that'll make us go crazy with anxiety."

"Unfortunately, there's no better way to tell without one of us around," said Matt with a sigh. "Neither of you can see witches or Kyubey."

"Can Gabumon see them?" Hiroaki directed his gaze to the Digimon of Friendship.

"Yeah," responded Gabumon. "Maybe because I'm connected to Matt."

Both parents looked at him intently as if they weren't buying it.

"That's probably true," Matt said. "He _has_ been fighting with me since our first trip to the DigiWorld."

"And I'll continue to fight by your side, Matt," added Gabumon. "I can take on these witches, too, especially when you and T.K. need them."

"Because they hold these things called Grief Seeds, right?" Nancy asked.

T.K. nodded. "Right. We need them to keep our Soul Gems clean."

"Riiiiight." Hiroaki drawled out as he also nodded, but he still looked like he had trouble absorbing everything Matt and T.K. had told them. "This is just a lot to take in here, even though we know all about Digimon."

"And you handled that well, Dad," the Child of Friendship reminded. "You know weirdness exists, so how are witches and invisible cats any different?"

"Maybe because we can't see them, Matt," Nancy retorted.

"But at least you know they exist," T.K. assured them.

"Yes, but what if you two aren't with us?" Hiroaki asked. "Who's to say one of us won't get into another accident like the one Matt and I were in this morning? Can you guys sense witches?"

"So far, no," T.K. answered.

"Well then, in that case, you'll have to stay with us at all times," Nancy decided. "T.K., you'll stay with me, and Matt will stay with your father."

"Wait, hold on..." the older blond began.

"You still can't go out, anyway, Matt," Nancy cut him off. "I hope you didn't think your being a magical boy meant you would get a free pass."

I kinda did, Matt thought, muttering a curse. Now he had to play bodyguard for their father _after_ he was free on Monday, with T.K. having to do the same thing with their mother.

"We have lives, too, Mom!" T.K. argued. "We can't just protect you twenty four hours a day!"

"Yeah," Matt agreed. "And it would be awkward around the others."

"The lives of innocents come first, right?" Nancy reminded. "That includes us."

Both brothers hung their heads, knowing their parents had a point.

"Then it's settled," Nancy decided. "T.K. and I can stay a little bit longer to make sure you guys will be fine."

"Okay..." Hiroaki agreed uneasily, "but I _am_ fine and so is Matt. He won't leave."

"Yeah, Mom. I won't," the Child of Friendship put in.

"To be honest, that doesn't sound like a bad idea," T.K. said. "Better to be safe than sorry."

"I agree, too," Gabumon put in. "They can at least stay for dinner."

"I hope you're up for Chinese food tonight," said Matt. "We haven't been to the store in a few days, so all we have is junk food after Gabumon and I raided the fridge and cabinets on Thursday. Even then, we still didn't find anything substantial."

"We had to order pizza then," added the Digimon of Friendship. "I could definitely use some lo mein noodles tonight."

"And egg drop soup," Hiroaki chimed in.

"And we can talk some more about how we can make this bodyguard thing work," T.K. put in. "At least so it won't look awkward around our friends."

Nancy nodded with a smile. "We can do that."

"Definitely," added Hiroaki. "Besides, we don't want to hang around your social circle, so having a method that can settle both parties is reasonable."

"Cool." Matt grinned.

…

"I hope you and Matt understand why it's better to stay by our sides or near us at all times...except for when you're at school, of course. We couldn't find a compromise for that," said Nancy, not taking her eyes off of the road leading back to her and T.K.'s apartment.

The family had come to an agreement on how the protection-at-all-times menthod would work. Nancy and Hiroaki promised to stay out of sight when the boys met up with their friends yet remain nearby in case a witch attacked either of them. The method wouldn't work for school and work, unfortunately, so they had to take the risk. And Nancy and Hiroaki were willing to deal with that.

T.K. nodded in response, glad everyone could come to a compromise. He still didn't like the idea of it, though, nor did he like being at what he felt like his mother's beck and call. Even if it _would_ keep her safe.

The wavering atmosphere interrupted the Child of Hope's frustrated musings, as a noxious gas worthy of a mix of rotten cheese and cyanide suddenly filled the car.

"I guess this is one of those beck-and-call times." T.K. covered his mouth and held his breath.

"What's going...on?" Nancy wondered, not being so lucky as she passed out and lost her grip on the wheel.

Refusing to end up like Hiroaki and Matt, T.K. grabbed the steering wheel and righted the car before it hit a wall in the now-formed labyrinth. Once he slammed the brakes and made sure his mother would be fine, the Child of Hope got out of the car and started his trek down the labyrinth, which consisted of more of the strong, pungent gas and an atmosphere worthy of a toxic and nuclear plant. Fumes dominated the labyrinth, threatening to smother T.K., but the younger blond pressed on and surveyed the surroundings.

"Maybe staying with Mom twenty-four hours a day doesn't sound like a bad idea," he said, making his way through the labyrinth. "And why aren't there any traps or familiars attacking me? Are they out to lunch or something?"

When he reached the end of the labyrinth, T.K. came across a field of toxic waste drums, large vats, and a mammoth chemical plant. The younger blond groaned as the gas came at him stronger this time.

"Why do I keep getting the smelly witches...and familiars?" T.K. assumed his magical form, prepared to fight and hopefully get it done quickly.

More of the noxious gas rained down from above, pinning T.K. down and nearly suffocating him. The Child of Hope refused to back down, as he spun his staff to fend off the clouds. Despite his efforts, however, the clouds grew thicker by the second. The younger blond looked up to see the witch, which resembled an enormous plume of the same gas that took over the labyrinth, firing more of the noxious substance from above. T.K. thrust his staff upward to purge the clouds...or at least, most of them. Now he could see the creature clearly, gold eyes glowing brightly against the darkness of the space. It spewed a stream of gas in T.K.'s face, but the teen was having none of that this time, as he responded with a stream of golden light and negated the attack. He charged toward the witch, ready to thrust his staff into the gaseous cloud, but was intercepted by what looked like a pair of missiles that resembled those of MetalGreymon's Giga Blaster. T.K.'s eyes widened at this.

"Please tell me..."

Unfortunately, T.K.'s hopes were dashed as he landed safely on the rotting, loamy ground to find two of the last people he expected to see in a labyrinth, which vanished as the witch retreated. That was now the least of his problems as he saw the new magical boy and a MetalGreymon. The new boy donned armor similar to MetalGreymon, the Ultimate-level Digimon's tail, his metal claws, and his helmet. The Crest of Courage was emblazoned on his left claw, and an orange Soul Gem glowed brightly on the right. From the smoke emitting from the cannons on the boy's chest, T.K. realized _he_ had interfered with the blond's attack. Was the kid _trying_ to cause more deaths? What's more? The Child of Hope only knew _one_ kid who wielded the Crest of Courage and had a partner named MetalGreymon.

"Tai? MetalGreymon?" T.K.'s jaw dropped at the sight of the duo of Courage, the blond at a loss for words.


	8. Chapter 8

**I've been attending cons, working, writing my original stories, and improving my cosplays, so it took me a while to edit this chapter. I reread it a good 4 times before uploading because my confidence in this one fluctuated, lol. But after a 5th time, evrything's in order! I'm still trying to be more productive in this fic, so expect a little more frequent updates over the summer. I'm hoping! *fingers crossed* However, this story is NOT dead!**

 **I don't own Madoka or Digimon!**

 **Chapter 8**

"What are you doing here?" T.K. asked.

"The same reason you are, except I wasn't looking to kill the familiar," said Tai, nodding to the already-retreating familiar.

"Familiar?" the Child of Hope repeated. "What familiar? That was a Digimon that escaped."

"What? No, T.K. That _was_ a familiar." The Child of Courage placed his hands on his hips. "Kyubey told me everything. The witches, the familiars, the labyrinths, everything. The question is: what are _you_ doing here?"

T.K. sighed. "I don't know now, but I _do_ know we need to go after that familiar so I can kill it before _it_ kills!"

"No, I'm following it to a larger hive," Tai rebutted. "I've been following a witch since I walked into its labyrinth and became a magical boy two hours ago. I lost sight of it, but this familiar might lead me to that witch. I've been killing the witch's familiars for thirty minutes after I found it, which is when I found out they don't give out Grief Seeds. And I _need_ a Grief Seed to purify my Gem." The bushy-haired teen held out his metal claw containing an orange gem, where T.K. could see a faint swirl of darkness upon looking more closely. "I know it's not a big taint, but you can never be too careful."

"But wait, slow down. _You're_ a magical boy, too?" MetalGreymon asked.

"Yeah," T.K. responded. "How did you find out everything?"

"I was heading home from after-school soccer practice two hours ago," Tai explained. "I was stopping for a snack until the world changed around me and a witch that looked like a mix between a car and a waste drum appeared and attacked. Then it spawned familiars, where shortly after Kyubey came and explained what was going on. He offered to make a contract with him and a wish in exchange for becoming a magical boy. He then told me that witches give out Grief Seeds, which we need to purify our Soul Gems."

"All true," T.K. agreed. "But do you understand how dangerous this is?"

"We've fought worse, T.K.," replied Tai.

"You don't understand, Tai!" T.K. warned.

"We do, actually," said MetalGreymon. "That's why we need to follow it."

"No, I mean you guys shouldn't have gotten involved," the Child of Hope clarified.

"What?" Tai was confused.

"This is not like fighting Digimon!" T.K. warned. "It's much worse!"

"I know..." the Child of Courage began.

"You don't understand, Tai!" the Child of Hope cut him off.

"What don't I understand, T.K.?" the bushy-haired teen asked.

"Witches and familiars are much worse than Digimon, Tai, mostly because normal humans can't see them," T.K. elaborated. "They can't see Kyubey, either, which is why it was a bad idea to let the familiar get away! Who's to say it won't kill anybody?"

"I let it get away so I can find the hive," Tai responded.

"That was a dumb move, Tai!" T.K. said. "You don't know what you're doing! When you see a familiar or witch, kill it! Don't let it cause any more trouble!"

"Look, if we follow it, we might find the witch," Tai assured T.K. "Why are you so bent out of shape about this?"

"Because I have more experience and know what happens when witches and familiars are left unchecked. Again, you don't know everything that comes with being a magical boy!"

"Okay, I'll admit it. I may not know everything about this." Tai folded his arms. "But I _do_ know a little more now, T.K."

"But do you _truly_ understand?" T.K. questioned.

" _Help_ me understand, then, T.K.!" Tai begged. "But while we're following the familiar! We wasted enough time!"

"No, _I'm_ following the familiar! _You've_ done enough damage already for two hours! Just go home, Tai!"

"We're coming with you!" MetalGreymon decided.

"Guys, I don't have time to argue! Go home!" T.K. hurried off to get back on the familiar's trail. This was the second time in one day he had failed to keep his friends safe. He had tried to keep everything a secret, but apparently fate – or possibly Kyubey – had other ideas. Was protecting his friends too much to ask? Was he meant to lose friends to the powers of darkness? The Child of Hope shook his head at that, refusing to believe it. He hadn't lost yet; he could at least keep Tai and Matt from fighting, and Sora and Izzy still didn't have a clue. The younger blond would make sure it remained that way, too.

…

"T.K..." Tai watched his friend rush off, still confused. "What's with him? First, he's been keeping secrets from us, now he's acting defensive about witches, Kyubey, and magical people." Then a thought crossed the Child of Courage's mind. "Wait, was this what T.K.'s been hiding from us the whole time? If so, why? I'm not going to get any answers from _him_ , obviously. Besides, he denied my help even though I know he needs it."

"Yeah, I'm worried for him, too, Tai," agreed MetalGreymon. "Should we get Sora, Izzy, and Matt involved?"

Tai suddenly felt a tap on his shoulder. Turning around, he saw a hooded figure wielding a silver staff. It also held its head down, keeping its face hidden. He guessed it was another magical person from the attire and the weapon.

"Who are you?" the Child of Courage asked the figure. It didn't utter a word to Tai in response, only pointed in the direction T.K. had gone and cringed.

"I'm worried about T.K., too, yeah," said the bushy-haired teen. "You know him?"

The other magical person nodded, then pointed in that direction again and mimed a large being, presumably a witch or the familiar. The figure then mimed T.K.'s movements, pointed in that direction again, and cringed.

"I know. T.K.'s making a big mistake, and although he told me, I'm not one to listen," Tai decided. He began to follow the Child of Hope but felt a tug at his tail. He turned back to the hooded figure, whose head was now hung.

"What's wrong?" Tai asked.

"Yeah, we're wasting time," MetalGreymon added.

The hooded figure shook its head and pointed to the duo of Courage, then the other direction.

"What's in the other direction?" the Digimon asked. "Another witch?"

The figure shook its head, but still pointed in the other direction. This time, it used its staff to start drawing on the concrete like it was on a playground. Tai and his partner watched as it performed its artwork, which started with a squiggly arch.

"I don't understand..." Tai trailed off after the magical person finished one, which, as he looked over its shoulder, looked like the The Crest of Friendship from its eye-like shape. What did _that_ have to do with T.K.? Tai didn't have a chance to ask that question, as the magical person waved its hand in a "be patient" gesture before drawing another picture next to the first. The second picture started with some sort of curled end. The Child of Courage stepped back, allowing the figure to keep drawing what eventually turned out to be an incomplete heart with two circles on its right side. Was that the Crest of Love? Neither Tai nor MetalGreymon knew what that and the Crest of Friendship had to do with T.K.

The magical person wasn't done yet, though, as it moved over to draw a third picture consisting of a large circle followed by a smaller one with two circles inside the bigger one and one inside the smaller one. As both human and Digimon took a closer look, they realized the figure just drew three Crests that didn't belong to T.K., albeit wavy and squiggly. Both raised an eyebrow at this, still stumped. Their confusion grew even more when the magical person pointed at the funky-looking representations, then in the other direction.

"I still don't get it," MetalGreymon said, prompting the magical person to shake its head. "What do the Crests of Friendship, Love, and Knowledge have to do with T.K.? He holds the Crest of _Hope._ "

The Child of Courage glanced from the drawings to the figure pointing to them and indicating the other direction. He scratched his head at that, but after a few moments, he finally understood.

"MetalGreymon, he or she wants us to get help!" Tai realized.

"What?" the Ultimate-level Digimon asked.

"The Crests! He or she was pointing at the crests and then in the opposite direction. Do you know who's in that direction?" The bushy-haired teen tried to clarify this to his partner.

"Matt, Sora, and Izzy?" the Digimon guessed.

"Exactly! Our friend over here wants us to get them so they can help! That's why he or she drew their Crests!"

The Digimon of Courage nodded. "I get it now, but there's no time; who knows what'll happen to T.K. during that time?"

The hooded figure placed a hand on its chest in a "don't worry" manner before rushing in the direction the younger blond went.

MetalGreymon sighed. "Okay, more charades..."

"I think he or she is planning on buying us some time so we can get help, and we had better not waste that time!" Tai, followed by MetalGreymon, proceeded in the direction opposite where the cloaked figure had gone. The bushy-haired teen had to hope T.K. wouldn't die by the time help arrived.

…

 _"I'm back in the ruined Odaiba," Matt realized as he surveyed the surroundings again. Same destroyed buildings, blackened, lightning-streaked sky, flames, corpses, craters, and Gabumon by his side. He and his Digimon once again stood on top of the downed Fuji TV building, Matt in his magical form._

 _His friends and the supposedly-dead Cody attacked the same dragon from his earlier dream...only to be knocked into the apartments once again. The Child of Friendship was still at a loss as to who or what that dragon was, and how Cody was back to life...if he had died at all. And where was T.K., who had also been missing from his last dream? Didn't he know what was happening? Or was he already dead? What's more? Was the dragon a Digimon? It couldn't have been a witch; the Crest of Hope was embroidered on its stomach, albeit upside-down. It couldn't have been Patamon, either; that much Matt knew._

 _"Matt, look out!" Gabumon's warning cut into the older blond's musings. Matt saw the dragon's magenta flames igniting in his face._

 _Grabbing his partner, Matt leaped out of the dragon's way just as it released the flames. He rushed over to his friends._

 _"Guys, are you alright?" he asked, gaze moving from friend to Digimon to friend to Digimon until he reached Cody, whose face was in sight and free from the cloak again. "Was the hooded figure...Cody? If so, how is he alive? And that dragon..."_

 _"Is someone you care for dearly," Kyubey's voice was heard, again saying what he had said in Matt's last dream. At least he knew the catlike creature this time._

 _"What the hell do you mean?" Matt asked._

 _"Someone close to you, Yamato," Kyubey responded._

 _"Close to me?" the older blond repeated, then turned back to his fallen friends and the dragon again. Its golden eyes fixed Matt with a blind fury that couldn't be tamed._ Was _it Patamon?_

 _Again, Matt had no time to think, as the creature swatted at him, prompting him to dodge using his blinding, magic-enhanced speed._

 _"What's wrong, Matt?" Gabumon asked._

 _"I don't know, Gabumon," said Matt. "That Crest of Hope on its chest... It_ could _be possible, but I could be wrong."_

 _"What? You know who that is," the lizard-wolf Digimon said._

 _"No, I don't," Matt rebutted. "Who or what is that...?"_

 _The Child of Friendship had no time to even finish his question let alone wait for an answer, for he felt the dragon's claws trap him, causing him to release his partner. Matt fought under the creature's grip but couldn't break free. He tried to move at least one of his arms, but the weight of the dragon's grip overwhelmed him. The creature unleashed another stream of flames at the blond like in the last dream, and once again, the Child of Friendship couldn't do anything to escape, as the rosy inferno claimed Matt a second time._

* * *

The Child of Friendship woke up in a cold sweat, panting heavily. He was back in his room, with Gabumon sleeping at the foot of his bed.

That dream again, he thought as he climbed out of bed and headed to the bathroom, where he splashed cold water on his face and took a look at his reflection. The same blond teen, blue eyes and all. The only difference was that he had magic and could fight just like T.K.

Speaking of T.K., where was _he_ in the dream? Had he gotten killed prior to the events of Odaiba's destruction? Matt shook at that frightening thought; T.K. _was_ known to snap at the sight and mention of the powers of darkness, so he probably charged forward out of fury. He couldn't bear to imagine his brother's death; he didn't want to lose anyone else. He couldn't. And what the hell was that dragon?

The Child of Friendship suddenly heard the sound of a rap on his window. Rushing over, he opened it to see Tai and Agumon, the former holding a rock poised for takeoff.

"Matt, do you have time?" the Child of Courage shouted from below.

"Tai? What are you doing out late?" Matt asked, making sure to reduce his voice to a whisper. "And you need to keep it down; my dad's sleeping."

"We can't hear you, Matt!" Agumon chimed in. "Can you come down? We have trouble!"

"Sorry, guys, I can't until Monday," the older blond explained, raising his voice to just above conversational levels. Hopefully they could hear now. Matt and Hiroaki _did_ live on the second floor, after all, but that wasn't the point. "Mom and Dad want me to stay home after my discharge from the hospital. Well, mostly Mom. They want to make sure I'm ready and recovered for school on Monday. Again, keep it down. Can you hear me a little better now?"

"Yeah, we can now," Tai said, lowering his own voice to just above conversational levels. And while I understand what your parents are doing, this can't wait until Monday, Matt. We need to talk with you _now_."

"I'm sorry, Tai, but..." Matt began.

"T.K. is in trouble, Matt." Agumon cut the blond off.

Matt's eyes widened at that as he rushed to throw on a pair of pants and a shirt. He knew what his mother had said, but surely she would want him to go out just this once to save his brother before he was killed.

"Matt..." Gabumon's mumbles were heard.

"Gabumon, digivolve! We need to go save T.K.!" the Child of Friendship ordered.

The lizard-wolf Digimon yawned. "What's going on?"

"I'll explain on the way down," Matt promised.

* * *

WereGarurumon carried Matt down from the window and landed safely on the sidewalk in front of the duo of Courage.

"What's going on?" the Child of Friendship asked.

"This may freak you out, Matt," Tai said.

"Tai, nothing freaks me out anymore," the Child of Friendship interrupted. "We've been through worse, so please just tell me."

"This is _beyond_ freaky, though," Agumon warned.

"Again, I've handled 'beyond freaky' in more ways than you can imagine," the older blond reiterated. "Besides, I don't have time to beat around the bush or hesitate. So you said T.K. is in trouble." He had a feeling what kind of trouble his brother was in, but it couldn't hurt to hear it from Tai to make sure it wasn't what he thought it was.

"Here goes." Tai took a deep breath before continuing. "T.K. is somebody called a magical boy."

Matt's eyes widened. Tai knows? How does he know? Did T.K. tell him?

"He can use magic to fight witches and familiars," the Child of Courage continued. "There are others like him, such as a hooded figure...and me." Tai showed Matt his Soul Gem, which glowed orange just like the bushy-haired boy's Crest, save for a thin swirl of dark energy.

Gasping, Matt sputtered, "You?"

"Yeah, I made a contract with this cat creature called Kyubey, and..." Tai began.

Matt held up a hand to cut him off. "Tai, why don't you explain on the way to save T.K.?" Matt suggested. "Besides, I already know T.K. is a magical boy. I'm one, too."

"Wait, you too?" Agumon asked.

"That's right," WereGarurumon interjected. "Matt made a contract on the way from the hospital earlier."

"We'll swap stories on the way," Tai decided.

* * *

"So you made a contract with Kyubey on your way home from soccer practice?" Matt asked after Tai explained everything he had been through. The boys and their Digimon headed down the main drag of Odaiba to save T.K.. Matt hoped T.K. wasn't dead. His little brother _had_ to hang in there.

"Yeah, after I walked into a labyrinth and ran into a witch cranking out familiars," the Child of Courage responded. "Witches and familiars are not like the ones in movies and TV, by the way."

"I'm aware," the blond said. "That they're not like the usual witches and familiars, that is."

"Anyway, when the witch spawned familiars, Kyubey came, explained what was going on, and offered to make a contract with him. I would get a wish in exchange for becoming a magical boy. Then he said that witches drop Grief Seeds, which we need to purify our Soul Gems." Tai held up his orange Gem once again to Matt.

Matt gasped. "I know all about the deal with magical people, witches, and Kyubey, but how did you run into T.K.?"

"So you _do_ know about all of this," Tai realized.

"Yeah, like WereGarurumon said, I made a contract on the way from the hospital earlier," Matt explained. "Dad and I were driving home until we ended up in a labyrinth, where Dad lost control of the car and hit a fire hydrant."

"You seem fine," said Agumon.

"I _am_ fine," Matt assured his best friend and the orange lizard Digimon. "Dad is, too. The hooded figure healed him and T.K. after I defeated the witch, which was a giant ragdoll. That was when I found out that T.K. was a magical boy and when I made the contract to become one myself. I forced him to tell me everything. Yeah, this was what he's been hiding from us, and get this: the witches are the causes of the suicides like yours and Izzy's attempted ones."

"No way." Tai's eyes widened.

"Yes way, Tai," Matt confirmed. "If T.K. hadn't stopped you and Izzy, you wouldn't be here right now."

"T.K. didn't tell me any of this," said Tai.

"Because he didn't _want_ to tell you," explained Matt. "He wanted to keep us safe."

"What?" Then the Child of Courage continued. " _That's_ why T.K. was getting annoyed over this."

"Yeah, which is why we need to hurry!" Matt urged as they picked up the pace on the way, but a sudden wave of dizziness overcame the blond. His body began to feel heavy as he fell to his knees. The Child of Friendship's vision blurred as he fell forward spread eagle on the concrete. The last things Matt saw were Tai, Agumon, and WereGarurumon before his world went black.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

"Matt! Matt! Wake up!" Tai shook his best friend in an attempt to awaken him, but Matt remained dormant, blank blue eyes staring upward. The Child of Friendship didn't stir or even twitch an inch. "Matt!" The Child of Courage shook Matt harder, but the Child of Friendship still didn't budge.

"What's going on?" Agumon asked. "What happened to him?"

"He must still be exhausted," WereGarurumon guessed. "I can take him home."

"I am afraid that is an empty shell you are holding."

Everyone turned their attention from Matt to see Kyubey perched on a nearby streetlight. His beady eyes fixed the group, no emotion present in his gaze. They were on Matt specifically, even more so as the feline creature leaped down to regard the quartet, stopping at the unconscious blond.

"An empty shell?" Tai repeated.

"Yes, Taichi," Kyubey confirmed. "Yamato is still in the apartment."

"What?" WereGarurumon was still confused. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Allow me to explain," the catlike creature began. "That corpse you are holding is not Yamato. At least, not anymore. When you make a contract with me, your soul is removed and changed into a Soul Gem. Why would I ask you to fight witches with the fragile human bodies you were born with?" Kyubey paused, as if waiting for a response, before continuing. "Is it not more convenient this way, for your souls to be contained in compact units rather than in an old fragile human body? That way, no matter how much blood you shed or how severely injured you become, you can use magic to heal yourself quickly. As long as your Soul Gem doesn't break, you are basically invincible; however, the price is that you magical people can only control your bodies from one hundred meters away at most. Otherwise, accidents like that happen, which are rare." The feline creature nodded to Matt.

Tai found no words for this; he only stood there before Kyubey, dumbfounded at what he had just heard. When he found his voice, he asked, "You mean to tell me...that our souls...are in _these?_ " He held up his Soul Gem.

"Yes," said the feline creature.

"So you're saying Tai is an empty shell now?" Agumon questioned.

"His _body_ is. _Taichi_ is the Soul Gem the body holds," Kyubey clarified.

"Wait, so you mean to tell me that we become walking, talking corpses when we make a contract with you?" The Child of Courage demanded.

"I would not see it as that, Taichi; keep in mind that your souls are kept safe in your Gem and you can heal quickly regardless of how much damage you take. As I explained before, it is much more convenient than using your breakable human bodies, do you not agree?"

"So we _are_ corpses," the bushy-haired teen concluded, his voice taking on an enraged edge. "You basically consigned us to our deaths."

"I do not understand," Kyubey said. "Why do you humans care where your souls are located?"

"Unforgivable. Just unforgivable." Angry tears ran down the Child of Courage's cheeks. "That's a horrible fate for magical people! They're basically dead after making a contract." Tai turned on Kyubey. "And you don't even care!" His voice broke with his next question. "Why didn't you tell us this before we made the contract?"

"You never asked," Kyubey simply said.

"We shouldn't _have_ to ask," WereGarurumon growled, cradling Matt. "You should've told us."

"Again, you never asked," Kyubey repeated. "It would not have bothered you if you had not found out."

"It bothers us even more now that we know about this after the fact!" Tai spat, now kicking himself for what he had just done. He was even more terrified for Matt and T.K., who was in possible danger right now along with that cloaked figure. Now that he thought about the younger blond and the unknown magical person, he realized that he had no time to fight with Kyubey, as much as he hated to admit it. He had to save T.K. and the mystery magical person. Then there was Matt. Or rather, the empty shell that used to be his best friend. Interrogating Kyubey could wait.

"Matt," was all WereGarurumon said as he hoisted Matt on his shoulders.

"WereGarurumon, get Matt home so he can get his Soul Gem!" Agumon instructed.

"That was the plan," the werewolf Digimon replied. "We'll meet up with you in a bit!"

"Agumon, we need to hurry!" Tai urged. "We wasted so much time with Kyubey that T.K. could be dead right now!" He and his partner resumed their path to T.K. and the witch, but not before firing a threatening glare in Kyubey's direction. They were not finished, especially when the Child of Courage explained everything to Matt and T.K.. He needed to and while he was at it, he had to get Sora and Izzy involved. Otherwise, if Kyubey went after them, they would do something they would regret. Something wasn't right about Kyubey's deal. After hearing what the feline creature had revealed about the Soul Gems, he now feared for Sora and Izzy. Once he saved T.K. and the cloaked figure, he would call both of them and figure everything out.

…

"Where am I?" Matt opened his eyes to see that he was back in his room and on his bed. He noticed WereGarurumon rummaging through Matt's closet and desk drawer for something. "What am I doing back in my room? I was with Tai and Agumon heading for the witch to save T.K. and..."

"Then you passed out," WereGarurumon finished as he turned away from his random search to regard the Child of Friendship. "You're awake. That's a relief. That means your Soul Gem isn't that far from you."

"What?" Matt sat up, then patted his pants pockets. "My Soul Gem is in my..." He paused mid-sentence when he realized it wasn't in either pocket. He then dug inside but felt nothing. "I thought I took it with me!" The blond teen opened his top dresser drawer to find the glowing sapphire jewel on top of a messy pile of underwear. "How did I forget it?"

"Maybe because we didn't know Tai and Agumon's visit was going to be a witch hunt and brother rescue mission," the Digimon of Friendship replied dryly.

"But that doesn't explain why I passed out, and what does my Soul Gem being close to me have to do with my being awake?"

"We really don't have time to sit down and chat about it, Matt, so I'll explain on the way. Tai, Agumon, and T.K. need our help." The werewolf Digimon scooped Matt up bridal style and carried him back down to the street, this time with the teen _and_ his Soul Gem.

* * *

"How did I collapse losing my Soul Gem?" the Child of Friendship asked.

"Because the Soul Gem _is_ you, according to Kyubey."

"What? I don't follow..."

WereGarurumon explained everything Kyubey had told him, Tai, and Agumon, including every single detail as they tried to pick up the pace to make up for lost time. Matt went so far as to transform to gain extra speed. All the while, he listened to and processed everything the wolf Digimon was saying. The fact that they were pressed for time didn't mask Matt's terror in response to his Digimon's story.

"No way!" Matt blurted, fear and anger lacing his voice.

"It's all true, Matt," WereGarurumon said with a heavy heart. "Your soul is inside that Gem now, controlling your physical body. Kyubey claims it's 'more convenient and safer.'"

"Apparently it isn't, considering what just happened to me!" the blond said through clenched teeth. "Invincible? Yeah, right. If my Gem breaks, I'm dead! All it takes is for someone to step on it! What kind of sick deal is that?"

"We'll get some more answers once we save the others! We need to hurry; we don't know how long Tai and Agumon will last!"

We'll get some answers, definitely, Matt promised mentally. One way or another. I'm sick of being tricked. The Digitamamon and Cherrymon incidents were enough; this takes deception to a whole new level, and I'm going to get the truth whether Kyubey wants to tell me or not. And if Tai or even T.K. is hurt or killed by the time I get there, I promise I'll kill Kyubey.

* * *

"Which way?" Matt wondered, as he and WereGarurumon stopped at a fork in the street in front of oDanold, the fast food restaurant he and T.K. frequented. The older blond's gaze moved from one choice to the other like the eyes of a cat clock going haywire.

"Just pick one, Matt!" the Ultimate-level Digimon urged.

Matt knew he had a point; every second agonizing over a tough decision like that was one less second the others had. But what if I choose wrong? the Child of Friendship thought, imagining Tai, T.K., Agumon, and the hooded figure falling at the hands of the witch. If he chose the wrong path, they would all be dead by the time he arrived... _if_ he arrived at all.

"We don't have time! Just choose and hope it's the right way!" WereGarurumon pressured.

"Yelling doesn't help, WereGarurumon!" Matt shot back; he was not one to think under pressure. In fact, in some cases, it didn't allow him to think clearly. And right now, it was hard to ruminate which street led to the witch. He glanced from one street to the other once again, wishing he could tell which way led to his friend and brother.

"Come on, Matt!"

"Stop it!" But the blond knew the werewolf Digimon was right; there was no time to waste agonizing over that. It was time to make a decision.

"This way!" Matt pointed to his right, then, with WereGarurumon in tow, started down the chosen street. However, they hit a dead end a few moments later. An apartment building now stood in their way.

"What the hell?" the blond wondered. "I don't remember this street being a dead end."

"Not only that. Look."

The Child of Friendship looked back the way they came to see that end of the street closed off by another building. Matt tried the other ends, but like the ones in front and behind them, they were fenced off by more structures.

"This is...strange," the blond said. "We don't have time for this!" The situation was only made worse as the atmosphere ripped in two like paper, revealing a magenta void consisting of several collapsed skyscrapers, flaming cars, and craters. A crescent moon that looked like it was made of cardboard hung in the eerie sky. And when there was a world like that, it only meant one thing; a witch's labyrinth.

"Figures it _would_ be a labyrinth. I knew the sudden dead-ends weren't real," Matt said. "Hopefully everyone's in this labyrinth." He and his partner started down the labyrinth, where yet another junction greeted the pair. The blond groaned. "Again?"

But that wasn't all Matt had to worry about as a swarm of what appeared to be paper hornets bombarded him and WereGarurumon from both directions. Despite being made of paper, they stung like real insects and were deadlier.

"Wolf Claw!" the Ultimate-level Digimon bellowed, as he slashed at the papier mache hornets with the claws on his hands. The insects fell to shreds within seconds.

Matt slashed at his own swarm, only managing to take out all but one, which set its sights stinger-first on the blond. His increased speed allowed him time to respond, however, as he managed to punch the bug with his spiked knuckles and felled it instantly.

"The question still remains: which way?" Matt wondered.

His question became invalid, as the junction shifted into a hollow, beehive-lined corridor with honey dripping from the ceiling.

"Pretty sure none of that's edible," said WereGarurumon as they kept going.

"I never guessed," said Matt sarcastically.

* * *

"Careful and watch your step, especially since we're barefoot," Matt warned as they took slow, cautious steps through the sticky tunnel. Stepping in honey may be harmless, but who knew whether or not something resided in the viscous mess. Add that to the fact that more of those killer hornets were probably waiting in the walls for a false move, making the odds of the duo of Friendship's demise relatively high.

"I'm never putting honey on bread after this," the werewolf Digimon vowed. He stumbled briefly but grabbed Matt's shoulders to recover. He checked the walls for any stirring insects, and thankfully, none showed any sign of coming out.

Then Matt nearly fell forward, his foot stuck in a large puddle of honey. He nearly hit the ground, which would have led to being even more stuck had WereGarurumon not caught him.

"You're right. No more honey," Matt said as he regained his balance and pulled his foot out of the sticky puddle. Taking a deep breath, he continued his trek. Just keep thinking of T.K. Just keep thinking of T.K. Matt repeated in his mind.

* * *

" _Definitely_ no more honey." Matt shook himself, trying to rid himself of at least most of the sticky mess. "We'll ban syrup while we're at it."

"Good idea..." WereGarurumon agreed, "but we need to focus for now."

"Right. We shouldn't be much farther now."

Just as they continued forward, however, a loud buzzing sound caused the pair to stop short.

"What the fuck?" Matt wondered as he and his Digimon turned around to see a pair of glowing ruby red eyes at the end of the beehive tunnel.

"Is it a witch?" WereGarurumon inquired as the eyes closed in on the duo, revealing their owner: a massive version of the many hornets that greeted them earlier. It also looked like it was made of papier mache, but it was three-dimensional unlike the small ones. The creature's eyes fixed themselves on Matt and WereGarurumon, with the Digimon stepping forward.

"I'll take care of this, Matt! You hurry ahead! T.K. needs you!"

"But..."

"Go, Matt!" The werewolf Digimon left no room for arguments.

The blond nodded, albeit reluctantly, as he resumed his journey through the witch's labyrinth. Just the thought of leaving WereGarurumon back there made his heart clench, for he now had one more person to worry about on top of T.K. and Tai. But his Digimon made his decision, and it followed the guidelines of being Matt's partner, even if it meant possibly dying. In the end, it would be a sacrifice for both Matt and the others, but the Child of Friendship refused to think like that. He and WereGarurumon had endured worse situations and survived, so the blond was going to believe that his partner was going to catch up to him with a Grief Seed in his paw.

* * *

"It's about time, Matt!" Tai yelled from his position against the wall. He had presumably been knocked into it by the witch – another massive hornet even larger than the one WereGarurumon was holding off.

"Hello to you, too, Tai!" Matt retorted as he studied the witch, then the battleground. T.K. and the mystery magical person were trying their best to whittle away the familiars in an attempt to reach the queen...only for larger swarms to take their places and knock them to the loamy, honey-coated ground. Tai was in the middle of recovering, followed by MetalGreymon. The older blond rushed over to help his friend to see that he was in even worse shape. The bushy-haired teen's armor was riddled with dents, with one of his metal claws hanging off of one of his arms. His helmet was fractured as well, and part of his tail was missing. Luckily, Tai's Soul Gem remained intact, save for a large blotch of darkness inside. MetalGreymon didn't look any better, as both of his wings were damaged along with one of his chest cannons. Both of the Digimon's claws possessed holes and dents. Tai and MetalGreymon were also covered in honey, stings, and bruises.

Matt looked up at the witch to see differences setting it apart from the smaller insects, which Matt knew had been familiars considering no Grief Seeds had spawned from their defeat. This bug possessed six wings instead of only two, eight ruby eyes that began fixing themselves on Matt upon the older blond's arrival, and four stingers – two on its bottom and two on either side. It also had sharp, jagged pincers. The witch's entire posture screamed hunger for the Child of Friendship.

The labyrinth didn't help matters, either, as it wasn't any different from the tunnel from earlier. Hives dotted every last wall in the space, with more eager familiars swarming just outside of them. Even the ceiling housed the insects, with most of them exiting their homes to swarm the witch, maintaining a buzzing shield that surrounded their queen.

"Where's Gabumon?" Tai looked past the Child of Friendship.

"He's...buying me some time." Before Matt could go further into that topic, he continued. "You two might want to stay put."

Tai grinned. "Hell no. What kind of guy do you take me for, Matt? Besides, T.K. and that guy or girl need our help."

"You're hurt, Tai," Matt pointed out. "Do you and MetalGreymon want to die?"

"We are _not_ going down that easy, Matt," Tai assured his best friend. "We can exterminate that thing if we all work together."

"That includes us," MetalGreymon chimed in. "So telling us to run and hide isn't going to do much."

Matt smiled halfheartedly. Sadly, they're right. Injuries never stopped those two before, so why would I think any differently now?

"So what's the plan, Matt?" Tai asked, then pointed past the older blond. "Especially when our friends aren't doing too well now."

Upon looking behind him, the Child of Friendship watched T.K. and the hooded figure give their all against the witch's seemingly-never ending swarms. The Child of Hope swatted at his swarm with his staff, also singeing clusters upon clusters with his light until he made a clear path for the witch. The cloaked being was doing the same, managing to clear out enough of them to make its own path for the creature. Both leaped at the witch to land an attack, only for more hives to knock them back down.

"T.K.!" Matt rushed to his brother, whose attire was in disarray and coated with honey. Thankfully, the Soul Gem resting upon his box hat remained intact. The Child of Friendship released a grateful sigh at that, as he knelt down to help the Child of Hope. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," the younger blond responded while allowing Matt to help him up, only to collapse to his knees.

"Easy, T.K.." Matt held him upright to keep him from falling all the way down again. "You're badly hurt."

"Not as hurt as our friend over there." The younger blond nodded to the other side of the witch, where the bushy-haired teen and MetalGreymon managed to help the hooded magical being to its feet. Honey covered the cloaked figure as well. "He or she's in pretty bad shape." T.K. managed to make it to his feet, but reeled back and forth a little.

"Take it easy, T.K.," the Child of Friendship instructed. "Maybe you should sit down, recover, and let Tai, MetalGreymon, and I handle the queen bee there." The older blond jerked a thumb up to said queen bee, which started attacking Tai, MetalGreymon, and the hooded figure. Tai and MetalGreymon fired as large a barrage of missiles as they could with what little firepower they had left at the witch, while the hooded figure poured what remained of its magic to send a stream of silver energy to the creature. Unfortunately, the swarms of its offspring buzzed into action and strengthened the shield around the beast, repelling their attacks.

"We can't get past the swarm, Matt," T.K. said. "That's what kicked our asses before you guys showed up." Then T.K. looked past his brother. "Where's Gabumon? I just noticed he didn't follow you. Did he stay home?"

"He's buying me some time back there." Matt motioned to the way he had come. That was when the wave of anxiety for his partner threatened to return, and this time, the older blond was not quick enough to push it away again. The fear of the worst happening to his partner hit him full force. The possibility of never seeing him again. The chance of losing yet another friend, and his partner at that. He didn't think he could handle losing another friend. He just couldn't. Even the mention of Gabumon caused the worst-case scenario to dominate his mind.

Nevertheless, Matt managed to regain his focus, his attention needing to be on the witch towering over them. Its offspring made sure nothing touched Her Majesty, and how horribly Tai, MetalGreymon, and the hooded figure were faring against the swarm proved that point.

"So how are we going to bring Queenie down?" T.K. asked.

"I have no clue," Matt said, staring up at the massive hornet and the insect barrier, wondering how he would go about defeating the witch. He knew it started with taking down that shield, but there had to be a million baby hornets in there, with more reproducing in the walls as he and T.K. stood there pondering. Destroying the "shield" would be pointless, then, the older blond thought. However, he then noticed something. Or rather, _nothing_ , namely below the witch.

The Child of Friendship's full attention moved to the witch's underside, where he came across the very factor that could ensure their victory. Nothing is guarding the queen bee from below, Matt thought. She's wide open down there. If T.K. and the others can keep her busy just enough for me to get underneath and bypass her wards, I can have a clear shot at her. We have one shot at this. That last part was capitalized when the swarms of militant hornets subdued Tai, MetalGreymon, and the hooded figure. The hornets' collective weight pinned them to the ground.

"Guys!" Matt, followed by T.K., rushed to their aid, using his blinding speed. He punched out the surrounding hornets harrassing Tai, MetalGreymon, and the hooded figure...only for more to take the dead insects' places. T.K. singed several groups, but it wasn't long before another three clusters joined the already-attacking brood.

"Matt...T.K... don't worry about us," Tai said. "Focus on the witch. Even if you free us, we can't help you any further. Look at us."

The brothers took note of the duo of Courage's and the cloaked being's damaged state. The mystery magical person was face down and unconscious in the sticky mess, its cloak rumpled and frayed, but not enough to reveal a face. Tai and MetalGreymon were in worse shape. Their remaining chest cannons were destroyed, their helmets were completely in pieces, and more stings and bruises marred their bodies. Tai's Soul Gem was almost full of dark energy, meaning he needed a Grief Seed urgently.

Matt would make sure to deliver, as he turned his attention back to the witch. He knew how to win this fight now, and it started below.

"T.K., can you keep the queen distracted for me?" the Child of Friendship asked.

"Sure, but why?" the Child of Hope questioned.

"Just trust me, little brother," the older blond assured him as the younger one, still confused, charged at the witch once again.

Using the borrowed time wisely, Matt slid underneath the massive hornet, where he saw that nothing guarded the path above him. Using his speed, he climbed onto one of the stingers, clawing his way up to the hornet's face. Both made eye contact before the witch took a swing at him with its pincers. It was no match for the Child of Friendship's speed, however, as Matt successfully evaded every attack with his overwhelming agility.

The teen responded with a punch led by his spiked knuckles between a pair of eyes. The queen bee continued swinging at Matt, but Matt held his ground and focused only on his mark. He could not stop until the creature beneath him was dead. He _would_ not. The older blond dug deeper, causing a black substance – presumably its blood – to gush from its head. The witch's futile flailing gradually ceased, and the familiar swarm collapsed, baby hornets raining to their deaths. The labyrinth crumbled in a mess of honey, honeycombs, and eggs of unborn offspring before vanishing to reveal the streets in front of oDanold. Black blood from the witch pelted Matt as he picked up the Grief Seed.

"I'm going to need a week-long shower when I get home," Matt said, wincing from the stench the ebony gunk emitted. And that's _after_ I make it past Dad. I'm definitely not going to be able to cover this up. Yeah, Mom's going to kill him _and_ me.

"Matt..." a familiar voice said, forcing the teen to place his urgent shower needs and his explanation rehearsal on the backburner. Turning around, Matt saw Gabumon barely able to move, honey staining his fur.

"Gabumon!" The Child of Friendship knelt to his partner's side, scooping him up in his arms. Good, he's still breathing, Matt thought, exhaling a sigh of relief. I can't handle another friend dying, even if he gets reconfigured. The older blond noticed a second Grief Seed resting in the Digimon's hand – a sign his partner came through. Matt used his first one to clean the Soul Gem, then approached his brother, who, from the way he was trying to at least make it to his knees, looked just as worse as Gabumon.

"Thanks, but I have a fresh one, Matt," T.K. said. "They might need it more." He managed a nod to the duo of Courage and the cloaked figure.

When the older blond moved on to check on Tai, MetalGreymon, and the unknown magical being, MetalGreymon had dedigivolved to an unconscious Agumon, and Tai's face displayed confusion as he examined an equally-knocked-out hooded being. Or rather, the being who had once been cloaked until he had reverted to his human form: a pale boy with a bowl-shaped haircut. Matt froze at the sight of the boy, recognizing him instantly.

"Cody..."


End file.
